Embedded philosophy is a concept of consciousness that is often used to explain how we understand and experience the world around us. This concept is closely related to extended mind theory, situated cognition, and enactivism. Modern versions of this concept draw from neuroscience and cognitive science, focusing on the importance of sensory experience and the body as the primary source of knowledge. This article provides an introduction to embodied philosophy and the theory of the embodied mind.
Embedded cognition
Embedded cognition is a field of cognitive science that has recently become a hot topic among philosophers of mind. This emerging field has explored a diverse range of phenomena and is often thought to challenge dominant views of mind. While it has challenged representational and computational theories of mind, it also has implications for the nature of agency, self, and subjectivity. Regardless of the debate over whether embodied cognition is a valuable tool for philosophical inquiry, it remains a challenge to neoclassical views of mind.
Although the history of embodied cognition is short, its roots can be traced back to phenomenological traditions and connectionism. The first step in defending this theory of mind is to identify its sources. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy describes this field as “an approach to the study of cognition which acknowledges the importance of our physical bodies.”
Embedded cognition is a branch of cognitive philosophy that challenges the standard views of mind and body. It challenges computationalism, Cartesian dualism, and cognitive science as well as Buddhism. It draws connections between embodied cognition and extended mind theories, particularly those that emphasize the role of sensory experiences. The extended mind thesis argues that cognition cannot be separated from its environment. This thesis also challenges the standard view of mind and body that equates body and mind.
The main goal of embodied cognition is to understand the relationship between the body and the world. As an embodied agent, we have a richly diverse relationship with our environment and the things in it. Thus, we can discuss broader philosophical issues from both perspectives. For example, embodied cognition can help us understand why a person’s experience is shaped by the physical environment.
Yoga philosophy
The modern yoga community needs a renewed focus on yoga philosophy, which helps to organize yogic practice and de-condition the mind in order to experience its true nature. The study of yogic texts honors yoga’s esoteric roots and enriches the yogic experience. Yoga philosophy encompasses a wide range of traditions and texts, including the Vedas, Yoga Sutras, Vedanta, Hatha and Tantra, and subtle contemplative practices.
In this podcast, Jacob Kyle, managing editor of Embodied Philosophy, talks about his journey from western philosophy to eastern philosophy, the intersection of scholar and practitioner, and the importance of non-duality in the quest for meaning. His Phd dissertation, on the use of the Yogasutras in the Modern Yoga teaching tradition, was a collaboration between Corigliano and Jean-Pierre de Caussade, S.J.
In a comprehensive program, students will study yoga philosophy from highly renowned teachers and receive specialized guidance from faculty. They will conduct their own research, embark on a project, and engage in a winter and summer virtual immersion, where they will connect with faculty and learn about the history of yoga philosophy. In addition to exploring the history and fundamental concepts of yoga philosophy, students will also read and explore sacred texts of yoga canon.
Immanuel Kant
An embodied philosophy is a type of metaphysics that examines the way in which we experience the world. Kant explores our sensory intuitions and how we perceive the world around us through our senses. In defining the nature of time and space, Kant challenges the traditional view of space and time as objective, abstract, and immaterial. In this view, time and space are purely subjective and are ultimately derived from our senses.
In the Critique of Pure Reason, Kant replaces the transcendent metaphysics of the natural world with the metaphysics of experience. He calls this new science the metaphysics of morals. This metaphysics of experience and nature is rooted in the Copernican revolution and has bioethical implications. While the two-aspects theory is based on Kant’s view of the world, it is not the only way to interpret the text.
The metaphysical layer of Kant’s treatise on religion refers to his conception of embodied virtue. He raises the question of the ontology of the ideal. While he argues that a pure human will cannot embody a holy state, he asserts that it cannot be a moral example for an infirm human will. Further, he claims that there are no grounds for a divine nature, and that rational philosophy can only think of the archetype of perfection as a complete moral attitude.
Although Immanuel Kant is an important thinker, his works have received considerable criticism in educational theory. The ‘Kantian’ picture of Kant argues that the mind structures experience and is divorced from reality. This view is at odds with contemporary work on the philosophy of education. The ‘Kantian’ Kant is a thinker who seeks to make philosophical issues relevant to education today.
Merleau-Ponty
According to Merleau-Ponty, our physical bodies are intimately connected to our environment, and our actions reflect this relationship. The relationship is not merely pre-reflexive, but also practical. As a result, we cannot separate our actions from our perceptions, and our actions depend on our perceptions. Therefore, we must consider the connection between our perceptions and actions in order to understand Merleau-Ponty’s philosophy.
In his embodied philosophy, Merleau-Ponty rejects traditional dualism, arguing that a person is both a subject and an object. As a result, Merleau-Ponty rejects the idea that a person is simply a mind. He argues that human beings possess an “embodied consciousness,” or the capacity to experience and perceive reality.
Heidegger claimed that the body is undervalued by our philosophical tradition. Our mind’s transcendental capacity is what orders our bodies to perform certain functions. His philosophy of perception, which relies on accounts of perception, tended to emphasize our embodied inherence in the world and our reflective capacities. He also claimed that our perception is inherently cognitive. By redefining perception as a process, we can see that we can only be fully conscious when we perceive the world.
Despite this critical and engaged relationship with the Marxist left, Merleau-Ponty’s philosophical work is associated with existentialism. Though he never advocated a violent and extreme version of existentialism, the term has been associated with his work. In addition, Merleau-Ponty’s work never gained the same recognition as his French contemporaries, such as Simone de Beauvoir.
Research on embodied cognition
While a common focus of embodied cognition is the body, it may not be the sole focus of philosophy. Embodied cognition has several subthemes and methods. Some argue that concepts are heavily body-dependent, with their meanings constrained by their morphological properties. Others argue that bodies play a constitutive role in cognition, as in the case of human beings. Whatever the focus, it is essential to understand the underlying mechanism of cognition and its limitations.
In this context, we may consider a few examples of the processes involved in perception. For instance, we perceive the shape of an object based on the patterns of light that change as we approach and move around it. The edges of a square, for example, create different patterns of light than those of a diamond. This effect, a common phenomenological feature, is at odds with the computational, amodal theories of concepts.
Embodied cognition advocates argue that embodied concepts are not merely conceptions, but rather a fundamental feature of human brain evolution. Because people are able to manipulate their environments and rely on their hands and bodies to do so, their brains have evolved to reflect that physical structure. Furthermore, people’s mental models of the mind are shaped by their embodied experiences. They often conceive of cognitive processes in manual terms.
Embodied cognition theories have been used to explain emotions and provide rigorous accounts of the processes involved. Embodied cognitive theories propose that emotions are re-experienced through overlapping mental processes. During the re-experience process, attention selectively focuses on the salient aspects of the experience, and this process re-embodies the memory of the original experience. The embodied brain and the body are linked in a way that makes the experience of emotion possible.