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EnactivismWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Enactivism
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Enactivismarguesthatcognitionarisesthroughadynamicinteractionbetweenanactingorganismandits
environment.[1]Itclaimsthatourenvironmentisonewhichweselectivelycreatethroughourcapacitiesto
interactwiththeworld.[2]"Organismsdonotpassivelyreceiveinformationfromtheirenvironments,which
theythentranslateintointernalrepresentations.Naturalcognitivesystems...participateinthegenerationof
meaning...engagingintransformationalandnotmerelyinformationalinteractions:theyenacta
world."[3]Theseauthorssuggestthattheincreasingemphasisuponenactiveterminologypresagesanew
erainthinkingaboutcognitivescience.[3]Howtheactionsinvolvedinenactivismrelatetoageoldquestions
aboutfreewillremainsatopicofactivedebate.[4]
Theterm'enactivism'iscloseinmeaningto'enaction',definedas"themannerinwhichasubjectof
perceptioncreativelymatchesitsactionstotherequirementsofitssituation".[5]Theintroductionofthe
termenactioninthiscontextisattributedtoFranciscoVarela,EvanThompson,andEleanor
Rosch,[5][6]whoproposedthenameto"emphasizethegrowingconvictionthatcognitionisnotthe
representationofapregivenworldbyapregivenmindbutisrathertheenactmentofaworldandamind
onthebasisofahistoryofthevarietyofactionsthatabeingintheworldperforms".[7]Thiswasfurther
developedbyThompsonandothers,[1]toplaceemphasisupontheideathatexperienceoftheworldisa
resultofmutualinteractionbetweenthesensorimotorcapacitiesoftheorganismanditsenvironment.[6]
Theinitialemphasisofenactivismuponsensorimotorskillshasbeencriticizedas"cognitively
marginal",[8]butithasbeenextendedtoapplytohigherlevelcognitiveactivities,suchassocial
interactions.[3]"Intheenactiveview,...knowledgeisconstructed:itisconstructedbyanagentthroughits
sensorimotorinteractionswithitsenvironment,coconstructedbetweenandwithinlivingspeciesthrough
theirmeaningfulinteractionwitheachother.Initsmostabstractform,knowledgeiscoconstructed
betweenhumanindividualsinsociolinguisticinteractions...Scienceisaparticularformofsocialknowledge
construction...[that]allowsustoperceiveandpredicteventsbeyondourimmediatecognitivegrasp...and
alsotoconstructfurther,evenmorepowerfulscientificknowledge."[9]
Enactivismiscloselyrelatedtosituatedcognitionandembodiedcognition,andispresentedasan
alternativetocognitivism,computationalism,andCartesiandualism.
Contents[hide]
1Philosophicalaspects
2Psychologicalaspects
2.1Enactiveviewsofperception
2.2Participatorysensemaking
3Educationalaspects
4Artificialintelligenceaspects
5Seealso
6Furtherreading
7Notes
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8References
9Externallinks

Philosophicalaspects

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Enactivismisoneofaclusterofrelatedtheoriessometimesknownasthe4Es,theothersbeingembodied,
embeddedandextendedaspectsofcognition.[10][11]Itproposesanalternativetodualismasaphilosophy
ofmind,inthatitemphasisestheinteractionsbetweenmind,bodyandtheenvironment,seeingthemallas
inseparablyintertwinedinmentalprocesses.[12]Theselfarisesaspartoftheprocessofanembodied
entityinteractingwiththeenvironmentinprecisewaysdeterminedbyitsphysiology.Inthissense,
individualscanbeseento"growinto"orarisefromtheirinteractiverolewiththeworld.[13]
"Enactionistheideathatorganismscreatetheirownexperiencethroughtheiractions.Organismsare
notpassivereceiversofinputfromtheenvironment,butareactorsintheenvironmentsuchthatwhat
theyexperienceisshapedbyhowtheyact."[14]
InTheTreeofKnowledgeMaturana&Varelaproposedthetermenactive[15]"toevoketheviewof
knowledgethatwhatisknownisbroughtforth,incontrapositiontothemoreclassicalviewsofeither
cognitivism[Note1]orconnectionism.[Note2]Theyseeenactivismasprovidingamiddlegroundbetweenthe
twoextremesofrepresentationalismandsolipsism.Theyseekto"confronttheproblemofunderstanding
howourexistencethepraxisofourlivingiscoupledtoasurroundingworldwhichappearsfilledwith
regularitiesthatareateveryinstanttheresultofourbiologicalandsocialhistories....tofindaviamedia:to
understandtheregularityoftheworldweareexperiencingateverymoment,butwithoutanypointof
referenceindependentofourselvesthatwouldgivecertaintytoourdescriptionsandcognitiveassertions.
Indeedthewholemechanismofgeneratingourselves,asdescribersandobserverstellsusthatourworld,
astheworldwhichwebringforthinourcoexistencewithothers,willalwayshavepreciselythatmixtureof
regularityandmutability,thatcombinationofsolidityandshiftingsand,sotypicalofhumanexperience
whenwelookatitupclose."[TreeofKnowledge,p.241]
Enactivismalsoaddressesthehardproblemofconsciousness,referredtobyThompsonaspartof
theexplanatorygapinexplaininghowconsciousnessandsubjectiveexperiencearerelatedtobrainand
body.[16]"Theproblemwiththedualisticconceptsofconsciousnessandlifeinstandardformulationsofthe
hardproblemisthattheyexcludeeachotherbyconstruction".[17]Instead,accordingtoThompson'sviewof
enactivism,thestudyofconsciousnessorphenomenologyasexemplifiedbyHusserlandMerleauPontyis
tocomplementscienceanditsobjectificationoftheworld."Thewholeuniverseofscienceisbuiltuponthe
worldasdirectlyexperienced,andifwewanttosubjectscienceitselftorigorousscrutinyandarriveata
preciseassessmentofitsmeaningandscope,wemustbeginbyreawakeningthebasicexperienceofthe
worldofwhichscienceisthesecondorderexpression"(MerleauPonty,Thephenomenologyof
perceptionasquotedbyThompson,p.165).Inthisinterpretation,enactivismassertsthatscienceis
formedorenactedaspartofhumankind'sinteractivitywithitsworld,andbyembracingphenomenology
"scienceitselfisproperlysituatedinrelationtotherestofhumanlifeandistherebysecuredonasounder
footing."[18][19]
Enactionhasbeenseenasamovetoconjoinrepresentationalismwithphenomenalism,thatis,asadopting
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aconstructivistepistemology,anepistemologycenteredupontheactiveparticipationofthesubjectin
constructingreality.[20][21]However,'constructivism'focusesuponmorethanasimple'interactivity'that
couldbedescribedasaminoradjustmentto'assimilate'realityor'accommodate'toit.[22]Constructivism
looksuponinteractivityasaradical,creative,revisionistprocessinwhichtheknowerconstructsapersonal
'knowledgesystem'basedupontheirexperienceandtestedbyitsviabilityinpracticalencounterswiththeir
environment.Learningisaresultofperceivedanomaliesthatproducedissatisfactionwithexisting
conceptions.[23]
Howdoesconstructivismrelatetoenactivism?Fromtheaboveremarksitcanbeseen
thatGlasersfeldexpressesaninteractivitybetweentheknowerandtheknownquiteacceptabletoan
enactivist,butdoesnotemphasizethestructuredprobingoftheenvironmentbytheknowerthatleadsto
the"perturbationrelativetosomeexpectedresult"thatthenleadstoanewunderstanding.[23]Itisthis
probingactivity,especiallywhereitisnotaccidentalbutdeliberate,thatcharacterizesenaction,and
invokesaffect,[24]thatis,themotivationandplanningthatleadtodoingandtofashioningtheprobing,both
observingandmodifyingtheenvironment,sothat"perceptionsandnatureconditiononeanotherthrough
generatingoneanother."[25]Thequestioningnatureofthisprobingactivityisnotanemphasis
ofPiagetandGlasersfeld.
Sharingenactivism'sstressuponbothactionandembodimentintheincorporationofknowledge,butgiving
Glasersfeld'smechanismofviabilityanevolutionaryemphasis,[26]isevolutionaryepistemology.Inasmuch
asanorganismmustreflectitsenvironmentwellenoughfortheorganismtobeabletosurviveinit,andto
becompetitiveenoughtobeabletoreproduceatsustainablerate,thestructureandreflexesofthe
organismitselfembodyknowledgeofitsenvironment.Thisbiologyinspiredtheoryofthegrowthof
knowledgeiscloselytiedtouniversalDarwinism,andisassociatedwithevolutionaryepistemologistssuch
asKarlPopper,DonaldT.Campbell,PeterMunz,andGaryCziko.[27]AccordingtoMunz,"anorganismis
anembodiedtheoryaboutitsenvironment...Embodiedtheoriesarealsonolongerexpressedinlanguage,
butinanatomicalstructuresorreflexresponses,etc."[27][28]

Psychologicalaspects

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McGann&others[29]arguethatenactivismattemptstomediatebetweentheexplanatoryroleofthe
couplingbetweencognitiveagentandenvironmentandthetraditionalemphasisonbrainmechanisms
foundinneuroscienceandpsychology.IntheinteractiveapproachtosocialcognitiondevelopedbyDe
Jaegher&others,[30][31][32]thedynamicsofinteractiveprocessesareseentoplaysignificantrolesin
coordinatinginterpersonalunderstanding,processesthatinpartincludewhattheycallparticipatorysense
making.[33][34]Recentdevelopmentsofenactivismintheareaofsocialneuroscienceinvolvetheproposal
ofTheInteractiveBrainHypothesis[35]wheresocialcognitionbrainmechanisms,eventhoseusedinnon
interactivesituations,areproposedtohaveinteractiveorigins.

Enactiveviewsofperception

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Intheenactiveview,perception"isnotconceivedasthetransmissionofinformationbutmoreasan
explorationoftheworldbyvariousmeans.Cognitionisnottiedintotheworkingsofan'innermind',some
cognitivecore,butoccursindirectedinteractionbetweenthebodyandtheworlditinhabits."[36]
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AlvaNoinadvocatinganenactiveviewofperception[37]soughttoresolvehowweperceivethree
dimensionalobjects,onthebasisoftwodimensionalinput.Hearguesthatweperceivethissolidity(or
'volumetricity')byappealingtopatternsofsensorimotorexpectations.Thesearisefromouragentactive
'movementsandinteraction'withobjects,or'objectactive'changesintheobjectitself.Thesolidityis
perceivedthroughourexpectationsandskillsinknowinghowtheobject'sappearancewouldchangewith
changesinhowwerelatetoit.Hesawallperceptionasanactiveexplorationoftheworld,ratherthan
beingapassiveprocess,somethingwhichhappenstous.
No'sideaoftheroleof'expectations'inthreedimensionalperceptionhasbeenopposedbyseveral
philosophers,notablybyAndyClark.[38]Clarkpointstodifficultiesoftheenactiveapproach.Hepointsto
internalprocessingofvisualsignals,forexample,intheventralanddorsalpathways,thetwostreams
hypothesis.Thisresultsinanintegratedperceptionofobjects(theirrecognitionandlocation,respectively)
yetthisprocessingcannotbedescribedasanactionoractions.Inamoregeneralcriticism,Clarksuggests
thatperceptionisnotamatterofexpectationsaboutsensorimotormechanismsguidingperception.Rather,
althoughthelimitationsofsensorimotormechanismsconstrainperception,thissensorimotoractivityis
drasticallyfilteredtofitcurrentneedsandpurposesoftheorganism,anditistheseimposed'expectations'
thatgovernperception,filteringforthe'relevant'detailsofsensorimotorinput(called"sensorimotor
summarizing").[38]
Anotherapplicationofenactiontoperceptionisanalysisofthehumanhand.Themanyremarkably
demandingusesofthehandarenotlearnedbyinstruction,butthroughahistoryofengagementsthatlead
totheacquisitionofskills.Accordingtooneinterpretation,itissuggestedthat"thehand[is]...anorganof
cognition",notafaithfulsubordinateworkingundertopdowninstruction,butapartnerina"bidirectional
interplaybetweenmanualandbrainactivity."[39]AccordingtoHutto:"Enactivistsareconcernedtodefend
theviewthatourmostelementarywaysofengagingwiththeworldandothersincludingourbasicforms
ofperceptionandperceptualexperiencearemindfulinthesenseofbeingphenomenallychargedand
intentionallydirected,despitebeingnonrepresentationalandcontentfree."[40]Huttocallsthisposition
'REC'(RadicalEnactiveCognition):"AccordingtoREC,thereisnowaytodistinguishneuralactivitythatis
imaginedtobegenuinelycontentinvolving(andthustrulymental,trulycognitive)fromothernonneural
activitythatmerelyplaysasupportingorenablingroleinmakingmindandcognitionpossible."[40]

Participatorysensemaking

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HanneDeJaegherandEzequielDiPaolo(2007)[33]haveextendedtheenactiveconceptofsense
making[17]intothesocialdomain.Theideatakesasitsdeparturepointtheprocessofinteractionbetween
individualsinasocialencounter.[41]DeJaegherandDiPaoloarguethattheinteractionprocessitselfcan
takeonaformofautonomy(operationallydefined).Thisallowsthemtodefinesocialcognitionasthe
generationofmeaninganditstransformationthroughinteractingindividuals.
Thenotionofparticipatorysensemakinghasledtotheproposalthatinteractionprocessescansometimes
playconstitutiverolesinsocialcognition(DeJaegher,DiPaolo,Gallagher,2010).[34]Ithasbeenappliedto
researchinsocialneuroscience[35]andautism.[42]
Inasimilarvein,"aninterenactiveapproachtoagencyholdsthatthebehaviorofagentsinasocial
situationunfoldsnotonlyaccordingtotheirindividualabilitiesandgoals,butalsoaccordingtothe
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conditionsandconstraintsimposedbytheautonomousdynamicsoftheinteractionprocess
itself".[43]AccordingtoTorrance,enactivisminvolvesfiveinterlockingthemesrelatedtothequestion"What
isittobea(cognizing,conscious)agent?"Itis:[43]
1.tobeabiologicallyautonomous(autopoietic)organism
2.togeneratesignificanceormeaning,ratherthantoactvia...updatedinternalrepresentationsofthe
externalworld
3.toengageinsensemakingviadynamiccouplingwiththeenvironment
4.to'enact'or'bringforth'aworldofsignificancesbymutualcodeterminationoftheorganismwithits
enactedworld
5.toarriveat

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