Philosophy of Mind · The boundaries of mind

Extended mind

Cognitive processes can literally include suitably integrated tools and environments.

What it claims

The extended mind thesis challenges the assumption that cognition ends at the skin or skull. External resources, when integrated in the right way, can be genuine parts of a cognitive system rather than merely aids to an internal process. Clark and Chalmers's parity principle (1998) asks why a process would cease to count as cognitive solely because it occurs outside the head.

Nearby positions

Goes together with
FunctionalismPhysicalism

Key thinkers

Andy Clark · David Chalmers · Edwin Hutchins · Richard Menary