The future of cognitive science is pluralistic, but what does that mean?
Rivista Internazionale di Filosofia e Psicologia August 31, 2023 Lisa M. Osbeck, Saulo de Freitas Araujo
This paper examines the past and future of cognitive science, noting its transformation from an interdisciplinary field with narrow assumptions to one embracing alternative frameworks like situated cognition, embodied cognition, and extended mind. The authors consider three logical alternatives for understanding these changes: newer approaches are not properly cognitive, they are cognitive but not science, or cognitive science has become pluralistic. They endorse the third position and argue that the future of cognitive science will be pluralistic. Clarifying the polysemous term 'pluralism,' they distinguish ontological, epistemic, and ethical forms, and explore what each might imply for the field's future.