TheWeb‐Extended Mind
Metaphilosophy July 1, 2012 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9973.2012.01756.x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that while current forms of the Web may not be particularly suited to realizing "Web-extended minds," new user-interaction technologies and approaches to information representation offer promising opportunities for Web-based cognitive extension. Suggests that extended cognitive systems often rely on emergent social practices and conventions, so Web-extended minds may depend on socio-technical co-evolution in which social forces play as important a role as technology design and development. |
Abstract
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 interaction technology as well as new approaches to information representation do provide promising new opportunities forWeb‐based forms of cognitive extension. In addition, it is suggested that extended cognitive systems often rely on the emergence of social practices and conventions that shape how a technology is used.Web‐extended minds may thus depend on forms of socio‐technical co‐evolution in which social forces and factors play just as important a role as do the processes of technology design and development.