304 Pages
    by Routledge

    304 Pages
    by Routledge

    Embodied cognition is a recent development in psychology that practitioners often present as a superseding standard cognitive science. In this outstanding introduction, Lawrence Shapiro sets out the central themes and debates surrounding embodied cognition, explaining and assessing the work of many of the key figures in the field, including Lawrence Barsalou, Daniel Casasanto, Andy Clark, Alva Noë, and Michael Spivey.

    Beginning with an outline of the theoretical and methodological commitments of standard cognitive science, Shapiro then examines philosophical and empirical arguments surrounding the traditional perspective, setting the stage for a detailed examination of the embodied alternative. He introduces topics such as dynamical systems theory, ecological psychology, robotics, and connectionism, before addressing core issues in philosophy of mind such as mental representation and extended cognition.

    This second edition has been updated and revised throughout and includes new chapters that both expand on earlier topics and that introduce new material on embodied concepts, preference formation, and emotion.

    Including helpful chapter summaries and annotated further reading at the end of each chapter, Embodied Cognition, Second Edition is essential reading for all students of philosophy of mind, psychology, and cognitive science.

    List of Illustrations

    Preface to the Second Edition

    Acknowledgements

    Introduction: Toward an Understanding of Embodied Cognition

    1. Standard Cognitive Science

    2. Challenging Standard Cognitive Science

    3. Conceptions of Embodiment

    4. Embodied Concepts

    5. Symbol Grounding and The Conceptualization Hypothesis

    6. The Replacement Hypothesis and Dynamical Systems Approaches to Cognition

    7. The Replacement Hypothesis, Robotics, and Representation

    8. The Constitution Hypothesis

    9. The Constitution Hypothesis and Extended Cognition

    10. Concluding Thoughts.

    Glossary

    References

    Index

    Biography

    Lawrence Shapiro is Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin—Madison, USA. His books include The Mind Incarnate, The Multiple Realization Book (with Thomas Polger), and The Miracle Myth: Why Belief in the Resurrection and the Supernatural is Unjustified. He is editor of The Routledge Handbook of Embodied Cognition and (with Brie Gertler) of Arguing About the Mind, also available from Routledge.

    Praise for the first edition:

    Winner: 2013 American Philosophical Association Joseph P. Gittler Award for an outstanding contribution in the field of philosophy of the social sciences

    "Shapiro is a philosopher with an impressive grasp of cognitive science, and he does a superbly thorough job of summarizing the relevant scholarship and evaluating the various claims that have been made. His writing is clear and persuasive, and he never seems tendentious. […] highly readable, evenhanded, and clear to a fault." - PsycCRITIQUES

    "Shapiro’s discussion of the dynamic systems approach to cognition in general, and the remarkable but difficult work of Randall Beer in particular, are careful and cogent, and will be of great help to students hoping to understand the main thrust of, and the debates sparked by, this still underappreciated research area. Similarly, I find his extended engagement with the extended mind hypothesis—and in particular the long and ongoing debate over whether we should believe that some of the constituents of cognitive processes lie outside the brain - to be clear and compelling. …The book represents a genuine achievement."Michael L. Anderson, Journal of Consciousness Studies

    "Embodied Cognition is sweeping the planet and Larry Shapiro has just written the first comprehensive treatment of this exciting and new research program. This book is now and for years to come will be unquestionably the best way for students and researchers alike, to gain access to and learn to evaluate this exciting, new research paradigm in cognitive science." - Fred Adams, University of Delaware, USA

    "A must read for those who support the embodied program, those who question it, and those who are just trying to figure out what the heck it is. It's definitely on the reading list for my course in embodied cognition." - Arthur Glenberg, Arizona State University, USA

    "Embodied Cognition provides a balanced and comprehensive introduction to the embodied cognition movement, but also much more. Shapiro is careful to sift empirical results from broader philosophical claims, and the concise, simple arguments for cognition's embodiment that he articulates will help advanced students and researchers assess the diverse literature on this hot topic in cognitive science." - Robert A. Wilson, University of Alberta, Canada

    "Embodied Cognition is the first of its kind - a beautifully lucid and even-handed introduction to the many questions and issues that define the field of embodied cognition. Psychologists, neuroscientists, computer scientists, and philosophers should jump on this book. It promises to set the terms of debate in this exciting new enterprise for years to come." - Elliott Sober, University of Wisconsin Madison, USA

    "Embodied Cognition is an outstanding introduction to this increasingly important topic in cognitive science. Written in a clear and lively style, with a critical approach, it is a strong contender for the most useful introductory text on any topic in all of cognitive science, and a genuine contribution to the scientific and philosophical literature on embodied cognition." - Kenneth Aizawa, Centenary College of Louisiana, USA

    "Embodied cognition is a controversial topic, and extravagant claims have been made both for and against it ... scientists would do well to pay attention when a philosopher produces an excellent monograph such as Embodied Cognition by Lawrence Shapiro. Shapiro is a philosopher with an impressive grasp of cognitive science, and he does a superbly thorough job of summarizing the relevant scholarship and evaluating the various claims that have been made." - David Manier, Lehman College, City University of New York, USA