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Broad‐spectrum conceptual engineering
Author(s) -
Isaac Manuel Gustavo
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
ratio
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.475
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 1467-9329
pISSN - 0034-0006
DOI - 10.1111/rati.12311
Subject(s) - scope (computer science) , flexibility (engineering) , computer science , conceptual model , spectrum (functional analysis) , representation (politics) , cognition , cognitive ergonomics , conceptual framework , conceptual design , broad spectrum , subject (documents) , management science , epistemology , engineering , psychology , human–computer interaction , mathematics , philosophy , political science , database , law , chemistry , environmental health , combinatorial chemistry , poison control , human factors and ergonomics , quantum mechanics , programming language , medicine , statistics , physics , neuroscience , politics , library science
Conceptual engineering is the method for assessing and improving our representational devices. On its ‘broad‐spectrum’ version, it is expected to be appropriately applicable to any of our representation‐involving cognitive activities, with major consequences for our whole cognitive life. This paper is about the theoretical foundations of conceptual engineering thus characterised. With a view to ensuring the actionability of conceptual engineering as a broad‐spectrum method, it addresses the issue of how best to construe the subject matter of conceptual engineering and successively defends the theses that conceptual engineering should be: (i) About concepts, (ii) psychologically theorised, (iii) as multiply realised functional kinds. Thereby, I claim to theoretically secure and justify the maximum scope, flexibility, and impact for the method of conceptual engineering on our representational devices in our whole cognitive life—in other words, a broad‐spectrum version of conceptual engineering.