7 papers in the library · 17 citations · publishing 2010-2025
Social Epistemology October 1, 2025 Paul R. Smart
ABSTRACT The mind–technology problem refers to issues that lie at the intersection of technology development and the philosophy of mind. In the present paper, I explore one aspect of the mind–technology problem, namely, the role of technologies in supporting the emergence of extended minds. I approach this issue from an engineering perspective, suggesting that the project to build extended...
Synthese June 1, 2025 Paul R. Smart, Robert W. Clowes, A. Clark
Recent research has relied on the use of fine-tuning techniques to incorporate philosophical knowledge into Large Language Models (LLMs). The present paper outlines an alternative approach to the development of such systems—one that is rooted in a technique known as Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). In contrast to fine-tuning, RAG does not seek to adjust the internal parameters (or internal...
Synthese August 1, 2022 Paul R. Smart, Gloria Andrada, Robert W. Clowes
Proponents of the extended mind have suggested that phenomenal transparency may be important to the way we evaluate putative cases of cognitive extension. In particular, it has been suggested that in order for a bio-external resource to count as part of the machinery of the mind, it must qualify as a form of transparent equipment or transparent technology. The present paper challenges this...
Frontiers in Psychology October 21, 2021 Paul R. Smart
The application of extended mind theory to the Internet and Web yields the possibility of Internet-extended knowledge—a form of extended knowledge that arises as a result of an individual's interactions with the online environment. The present paper seeks to advance our understanding of Internet-extended knowledge by describing the functionality of a real-world application, called the HoloArt...
Philosophy & Technology 2017 Paul R. Smart
The Internet is an important focus of attention for those concerned with issues of extended cognition. In particular, the application of active externalist theorizing to the Internet gives rise to the notion of Internet-extended cognition: the idea that the Internet can (on occasion) form part of an integrated nexus of material elements that serves as the realization base for human mental...
Metaphilosophy July 1, 2012 Paul R. Smart
Abstract: This article explores the notion of theWeb‐extended mind, which is the idea that the technological and informational elements of theWeb can sometimes serve as part of the mechanistic substrate that realizes human mental states and processes. It is argued that while current forms of theWeb may not be particularly suited to the realization ofWeb‐extended minds, new forms of user...
IGI Global eBooks May 26, 2010 Paul R. Smart, Paula C. Engelbrecht, Dave Braines et al. 17 citations
Whereas the traditional view in cognitive science has been to view mind and cognition as something that is the result of essentially inner, neural processes, the extended cognition perspective claims that at least some human mental states and processes stem from complex webs of causal influence involving extra-neural resources, most notably the resources of our social and technological...