Evolution, Rationality And Cognition: A Cognitive Science For The Twenty-first Century (routledge Studies In The Philosophy Of Science)

Evolutionary thinking has expanded in the last decades, spreading from its traditional stronghold – the explanation of speciation and adaptation in biology - to new domains. Fascinating pieces of work, the essays in this collection attest to the illuminating power of evolutionary thinking when applied to the understanding of the human mind. The contributors to __Cognition, Evolution and Rationality__ use an evolutionary standpoint to approach the nature of the human mind, including both cognitive and behavioural functions. Cognitive science is by its nature an interdisciplinary subject and the essays in this collection investigate the workings of the mind through a variety of disciplines including the philosophy of science, the philosophy of mind, game theory, robotics and computational neuroanatomy. Topics covered range from general methodological issues to long-standing philosophical problems such as how rational human beings actually are. With contributions from leading experts in the areas involved, this book will be of interest across a number of fields, including philosophy, evolutionary theory and cognitive science.

Evolutionary thinking has expanded in the last decades, spreading from its traditional stronghold – the explanation of speciation and adaptation in biology - to new domains. Fascinating pieces of work, the essays in this collection attest to the illuminating power of evolutionary thinking when applied to the understanding of the human mind.

The contributors to Cognition, Evolution and Rationality use an evolutionary standpoint to approach the nature of the human mind, including both cognitive and behavioural functions. Cognitive science is by its nature an interdisciplinary subject and the essays in this collection investigate the workings of the mind through a variety of disciplines including the philosophy of science, the philosophy of mind, game theory, robotics and computational neuroanatomy. Topics covered range from general methodological issues to long-standing philosophical problems such as how rational human beings actually are.

With contributions from leading experts in the areas involved, this book will be of interest across a number of fields, including philosophy, evolutionary theory and cognitive science.

Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Illustrations......Page 8 Contributors......Page 10 Preface......Page 11 Editor’s introduction......Page 14 Part I Evolution......Page 28 1 Intelligent design is untestable......Page 30 2 Social learning and the Baldwin effect......Page 53 3 Signals, evolution, and the explanatory power of transient information......Page 74 Part II Rationality......Page 96 4 Untangling the evolution of mental representation......Page 98 5 Innateness and brain-wiring optimization......Page 116 6 Evolution and the origins of the rational......Page 126 Part III Cognition......Page 146 7 How to get around by mind and body......Page 148 8 Simulation and the evolution of mindreading......Page 161 9 Enhancing and augmenting human reasoning......Page 175 Index......Page 195 Part I: Evolution -- Intelligent Design Is Untestable : What About Natural Selection? / Elliott Sober -- Social Learning And The Baldwin Effect / David Papineau -- Signals, Evolution And The Explanatory Power Of Transient Information / Brian Skyrms -- Part Ii: Rationality -- Untangling The Evolution Of Mental Representation / Peter Godfrey-smith -- Innateness And Brain-wiring Optimization / Christopher Cherniak -- Evolution And The Origins Of The Rational / Inman Harvey -- Part Iii: Cognition -- How To Get Around By Mind And Body : Spatial Thought, Spatial Action / Barbara Tversky -- Simulation And The Evolution Of Mindreading / Chandra Sripada And Alvin Goldman -- Enhancing And Augmenting Human Reasoning / Tim Van Gelder. Edited By Antonio Zilhao. Includes Bibliographical References. "This book uses a evolutionary standpoint to approach the nature of the human mind, including both cognitive and behavioural functions. Cognitive science is by its nature an interdisciplinary subject and the essays use a variety of disciplines including the philosophy of science, the philosophy of mind, game theory, robotics and computational neuroanatomy to investigate the workings of the mind