Seminar: Victor Loughlin: The Extended Mind and Consciousness

I am very much looking forward to the ALERGIC / Life and Mind talk next week (Wednesday, 7 December) by Victor Loughlin who will be discussing the relationship between the Extended Mind Thesis and consciousness.  I think this should be a very interesting talk, and I hope to see you there!  We are returning to the usual time and place next week.  Abstract and details are below..

Cheers,
Matthew

ALERGIC / Life and Mind Seminar: Victor Loughlin
Wednesday 7 Dec.
4.30pm
ARUN-401
University of Sussex

Title: The Extended Mind and Consciousness
Speaker: Victor Loughlin

Abstract: Where does my mind stop and the rest of the world begin? Can my conscious experience involve the environment around me? Exponents of the Extended Mind Thesis (EMT) argue that the mind can extend outside the body. One such exponent of EMT is Andy Clark. Clark argues that the machinery responsible for cognition can include objects in the environment but the machinery responsible for consciousness must, as a matter of empirical fact, remain brain bound. I will argue that Clark is correct to think that cognition can extend but wrong to deny extension for consciousness. By looking at two examples of EMT, I intend to show that one of these examples supports claims for consciousness extension. I will then examine some of Clark’s objections to consciousness extension and argue that these objections are not persuasive. I conclude that, in the example outlined, the machinery responsible for cognition and for conscious experience can extend outside the body.