Building Extended Minds
Social Epistemology October 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1080/02691728.2025.2559279 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that approaching the mind–technology problem from an engineering perspective, specifically the project of building extended minds, yields insights into philosophical questions about the criteria for cognitive extension and how the borders or boundaries of extended cognitive mechanisms are delineated. |
Abstract
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 minds yields insights into a number of philosophical problems. These include our understanding of the criteria for cognitive extension and the way the borders/boundaries of extended cognitive mechanisms are delineated.