Title: Representationalism and Anti-representationalism Reconsidered
Lecturer: Pierre Steiner (Associate Professor in Philosophy and Cognitive Science, Sorbonne University)
Chairperson: HE Jing (Associate Professor in Philosophy, East China Normal University)
Date: 2 pm, April 27th, 2017 (Thursday)
Venue: Room 5103, Building of School of Humanities, Minhang Campus, ECNU
Sponsor: Si-mian Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities, ECNU
Abstract of the Lecture:
In this conference, I will propose a reexamination of the debate between representationalism and anti-representationalism in cognitive science, from the points of view of philosophy of science and philosophy of mind. I will first define the various positions that exist in this debate, from realism to instrumentalism and eliminativism. I will then propose some reflections on the methodological conditions in virtue of which the concept of “mental representation” might or might not be preserved in cognitive science. I will finally turn to the relations between intentionality and mental representations: can one have the former without having the latter, and conversely?
Brief Introduction of the Lecturer:
Pierre Steiner is an associate professor in philosophy and cognitive science, Sorbonne University. He is also the head of the «Cognitive Research and Enaction Design» unit (25 researchers), COSTECH Lab and the publishing director, Intellectica, Journal of the French Association for Cognitive Science. He is specialized in philosophy of mind, philosophy of cognitive science and pragmatist studies. His has enormous publications, including the books Le dopage sans duperie, Qu'est-ce que la pensée? and the articles Beyond the internalism/externalism debate: the constitution of the space of perception , The bounds of representation,From autonomy to heteronomy (and back): the enaction of social life, and so on.