Objective
Historical and sociological studies show the importance of the material culture of science, including external representations, tools and instruments, and the physical layout of the laboratory. And yet these aspects of science are often assumed to be incidental to scientific reasoning itself. Recent developments in cognitive science challenge this assumption, revealing that many cognitive tasks are performed not by internal thought processes alone, but through skilful exploitation of material representations, tools and the wider environment. In fact, according to the thesis of ‘extended’ cognition, the relationship between internal thought and external objects is sometimes so close that external objects become part of the cognitive process.
Using methods from cognitive ethnography, this project will carry out three in-depth empirical studies, each focusing on a particular aspect of the material culture of science. These studies will ask: What is the precise nature of scientists’ interaction with external, material devices? Which, if any, of these interactions might count as extended cognition? The final stage of the project will explore the profound implications of extended cognition for a range of issues in philosophy of science, including the nature of scientific theories and the relationship between science and culture.
The project will be highly interdisciplinary, drawing on and contributing to philosophy, cognitive science and history and sociology of science. By offering a new understanding of reasoning in scientific practice, the project will also contribute to wider issues of public concern, such as the role of expertise in policy-making and the nature of science education. In addition, it will significantly enhance the career development of the researcher, allowing him to learn important new skills (e.g. in cognitive science and ethnographic methods) in a unique, world-leading centre for the study of extended cognition and its philosophical implications.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/euroscivoc.
- humanities philosophy, ethics and religion philosophy epistemology
- social sciences psychology cognitive psychology
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IEF
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Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
EX4 4QJ Exeter
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.