当代认知科学中心智具身性主题的内涵及出路

Cognitive Science and Its Way Out

认知科学中心智具身性主题的核心内涵有三个:认知是具身的活动,身体塑造认知,用身体思考。前两个内涵旨在探讨心智的身体经验起源以及与动物心智的连续性,但如果在所有水平上都强调心智以身体经验为基础则有失偏颇。实际上,具身认知进路仍然需要说明人类心智在哪些方面区别于动物心智,人类心智是如何在身体经验的感知运动水平上逐渐发展出一些高级的形态,那些高级形态是否在某种意义上可以被称为离身的。用身体思考与延展认知概念虽然意欲弥补具身认知进路在高层次认知能力解释力上的不足,却混淆了认知与认知媒介、认知与认知发生背景的区别。因此,心智具身性的合理且有意义的出路或许应该是,在进化的视角中探索心智的起源和发展问题。

The embodiment thesis in cognitive science may be comprehended as three implications:cognition is an embodied action,the body shapes thought,we think with body.The former two connotations mean to inquire the bodily experience origin of mind as well as the continuity of human mind and animal mind.But it will be partial and inadequate if we overemphasize the bodily experience basis of mind at all levels.Actually,the embodied cognitive approach must clarify further that what's the difference between human mind and animal mind.And how does human mind develop the advanced forms progressively from sensorimotor stage.Whether those forms could be called embodied in some sense.Thinking with body and the concept of extended cognition were proposed to supplement the explanatory incapability of the embodied cognitive approach on advanced intelligence,yet they confused cognition with cognitive media,with its background.Consequently,the rational and significant way of the embodied cognitive approach to go out of the predicament may be to investigate the origination and the developing course of mind.