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Thinking avant la lettre: A Review of 4E Cognition

James Carney

Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture December 1, 2020 DOI: 10.26613/esic.4.1.172 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Review Peer reviewed
Citations 65
Key findings The 4E cognition paradigm, though popular, has received relatively few critical evaluations, and this article assesses its strengths and weaknesses by reflecting on two recent collections.

Abstract

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.