Froese & Di Paolo (2011) The Enactive Approach: theoretical sketches from the cell to society – OpenEvo

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The Enactive Approach: theoretical sketches from the cell to society

Froese & Di Paolo (2011) The Enactive Approach: theoretical sketches from the cell to society

Abstract

There is a small but growing community of researchers spanning a spectrum of disciplines which are united in rejecting the still dominant computationalist paradigm in favor of the enactive approach. The framework of this approach is centered on a core set of ideas, such as autonomy, sense-making, emergence, embodiment, and experience. These concepts are finding novel applications in a diverse range of areas. One hot topic has been the establishment of an enactive approach to social interaction. The main purpose of this paper is to serve as an advanced entry point into these recent developments. It accomplishes this task in a twofold manner: (i) it provides a succinct synthesis of the most important core ideas and arguments in the theoretical framework of the enactive approach, and (ii) it uses this synthesis to refine the current enactive approach to social interaction. A new operational definition of social interaction is proposed which not only emphasizes the cognitive agency of the individuals and the irreducibility of the interaction process itself, but also the need for jointly co-regulated action. It is suggested that this revised conception of ‘socio-cognitive interaction’ may provide the necessary middle ground from which to understand the confluence of biological and cultural values in personal action.

Link to Publication

Concepts Adaptation, Agency, Autopoiesis, Cognition, Decentralized Self, Decentralized thinking, Social cognition, Social-ecological systems
Relevant learning goals Conceptual Thinking, Critical Thinking, Metacognitive Competency, Systems Thinking
Relevant subject areas Cognitive Science, Enactivism, Philosophy
Relevant research methods Conceptual clarification, Content analysis, Knowledge synthesis, Scientific clarification, Teaching materials development
Relevant projects Annotated Reading List, Decentralized Self, Understanding Agency
Relevant school improvement goals Conceptual pluralism, Conceptual understanding

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