The Role of Non-reductive Naturalism: Cognitive Science or Phenomenology?. Issue 2 (3rd April 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sachs, Carl B.
• Is Part Of: Australasian philosophical review. Volume 2:Issue 2(2018)
• Page Start: 229
• Page End: 233
• Publication Date: 2018-04-03
• Subjects: cognitivism -- enactivism -- manifest image -- naturalism -- phenomenology -- scientific image; Philosophy -- Periodicals; 101
• DOI: 10.1080/24740500.2018.1552103
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2474-0500

Abstract

Abstract: Shaun Gallagher argues that we need a new philosophy of nature that accommodates the insights of existential phenomenology. On his view existential phenomenology needs a philosophy of nature that is holistic, relational, and non-reductionist. I argue that his reasoning is based on a misunderstanding of the difference between the manifest image and the scientific image. The reasons why we should prefer a non-reductionist philosophy of nature are internal to the historical development of the scientific image itself. We have good reasons for preferring enactivism over cognitivism as a research program for the cognitive sciences, but compatibility with the manifest image is not one of those reasons.