Introductory Post

(Unknown Master, Italian (active 1570s) - 1959)

The primary purpose of this blog is to provide a centralized source for my research on both extended cognition and extended human persons. I will adopt the terminology used by Clark and Chalmers (1998) article The Extended Mind which refers to cognition that extends beyond the brain (or brain and body) of the human organism alone as ‘the Extended Mind Thesis’ (Henceforth, ‘EM’). I will also use their term 'the Extended Self' (Or, ‘the ES’) to refer to the notion that the human person (or self) extends beyond the human organism. The blog posts will vary: sometimes I will only discuss the EM; other times I will only discuss the ES; still others, I will be interested in the relationship between the two.  Aside from random musings such as reflections on what I am currently reading, the research presented here will (hopefully) play either a direct or indirect part in the grand crescendo that is my dissertation. My intent is to open up that research for discussion on a global stage in order to get constructive feedback, criticisms, etc. I’ll first break down the three parts of my research which will give you a sense of what you will find on this blog.

1. Pertaining to the EM, there will not be much, if anything, that I can add to the discussion. So, I will mainly stick to simply summarizing arguments made by others and keeping up-to-date with observable phenomena that might support the EM. Examples of questions that I will undertake researching are:
1. What, precisely, is the EM? How does it contrast with other theories of cognition? How is it better or worse than other theories?
2. What are legitimate (and illegitimate) examples of the EM at work?  
3. What are some common criticisms of the EM and what are those replies? Any novel criticisms? Any novel replies?
2. Pertaining to the relationship between the EM and the ES, the questions are as follows:
1. Does the EM imply the ES? Or, can it? Or, should it?
2. Can you have the same human organism have an extended mind without being an extended self? What would be the necessary and sufficient conditions?
3. Can you have the same human organism be an extended self without having an extended mind? What would be the necessary and sufficient conditions?
3. Pertaining to the ES, there is much opportunity for development and progression in thought. Too few scientists, if any, have actually engaged the metaphysical implications of the EM and too few metaphysicians have afforded the space for developing a robust notion of the ES. This likely has to do with the fact that one may or may not have to do with the other. Both the scientists and metaphysicians seem content with the fact that the EM can be compartmentalized within the realm of empirical science with no metaphysical implications for the person. But what can/should be made of the ES?
1. What is an ES?
2. Does positing the ES provide one with a viable metaphysical framework?
3. What of persistence, self-interest, and other issues in personal identity?