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The W eb‐Extended Mind
Author(s) -
Smart Paul R.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
metaphilosophy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.475
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1467-9973
pISSN - 0026-1068
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9973.2012.01756.x
Subject(s) - representation (politics) , extension (predicate logic) , realization (probability) , mental representation , cognitive science , cognition , computer science , epistemology , human–computer interaction , sociology , psychology , mathematics , political science , philosophy , politics , neuroscience , statistics , law , programming language
This article explores the notion of the W eb‐extended mind, which is the idea that the technological and informational elements of the W eb can sometimes serve as part of the mechanistic substrate that realizes human mental states and processes. It is argued that while current forms of the W eb may not be particularly suited to the realization of W eb‐extended minds, new forms of user interaction technology as well as new approaches to information representation do provide promising new opportunities for W eb‐based forms of cognitive extension. In addition, it is suggested that extended cognitive systems often rely on the emergence of social practices and conventions that shape how a technology is used. W eb‐extended minds may thus depend on forms of socio‐technical co‐evolution in which social forces and factors play just as important a role as do the processes of technology design and development.