Thinking avant la lettre: A Review of 4E Cognition

Evol Stud Imaginative Cult. 2020 Spring;4(1):77-90. doi: 10.26613/esic/4.1.172.

Abstract

The "4E" approach to cognition argues that cognition does not occur solely in the head, but is also embodied, embedded, enacted, or extended by way of extra-cranial processes and structures. Though very much in vogue, 4E cognition has received relatively few critical evaluations. By reflecting on two recent collections, this article reviews the 4E paradigm with a view to assessing its strengths and weaknesses.

Keywords: 4E; action; cognition; culture; embodiment; enactivism; perception; representation.