Evaluation and Analysis of the Embodied Mind Perspective

This paper evaluates the embodied mind perspective in light of disembodied approaches to the mind. According to disembodied approaches, the body plays no fundamental role in constituting the mind. Mind and body are considered two distinct entities. This distinction is sometimes ontological and somet...

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Main Authors: Mohamad-Mahdi Moghadas, Ali Fath-Taheri, Abdul-Razzaq Hesamifar, Shirzad Peik-Herfeh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Tabriz, Faculty of Literature and Forigen Languages 2025-03-01
Series:Journal of Philosophical Investigations
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Online Access:https://philosophy.tabrizu.ac.ir/article_19278_2819b78db9c94716093ca44d68759d45.pdf
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author Mohamad-Mahdi Moghadas
Ali Fath-Taheri
Abdul-Razzaq Hesamifar
Shirzad Peik-Herfeh
author_facet Mohamad-Mahdi Moghadas
Ali Fath-Taheri
Abdul-Razzaq Hesamifar
Shirzad Peik-Herfeh
author_sort Mohamad-Mahdi Moghadas
collection DOAJ
description This paper evaluates the embodied mind perspective in light of disembodied approaches to the mind. According to disembodied approaches, the body plays no fundamental role in constituting the mind. Mind and body are considered two distinct entities. This distinction is sometimes ontological and sometimes based on properties or characteristics. In these approaches, the body is described as a substrate, tool, neural realization, or container. In contrast, the embodied mind perspective argues that the mind is inherently embodied. The body constitutes the mind. Mind and body are not two distinct entities, but rather a single entity. Concepts, thoughts, emotions, and in sum, mental states and processes are fundamentally embodied. This means that the body plays a pivotal role in their formation. In this perspective, the body is the constitutive, not the substrate or tool. What supports this approach is a collection of empirical and cognitive findings. Based on these findings, the brain, body, and the surrounding environment together form a dynamic system, and mind and cognition are the consequences of this dynamic system. This approach is not merely about description or explanation; rather, the embodied mind is the outcome of an interdisciplinary approach that is supported by numerous empirical findings. However, this approach is not without its criticisms. The most prominent critiques highlight several key issues, including ambiguities in its fundamental principles, a lack of empirical evidence, insufficient consideration of higher-order cognitive processes, and the reductionist tendency to reduce all mental states to physical states. In this paper, we seek to critically analyze and evaluate this perspective, examining its theoretical underpinnings within the broader academic discourse.
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spelling doaj-art-c68032f9f714443db835b76ca9f01d8f2025-08-20T03:00:05ZengUniversity of Tabriz, Faculty of Literature and Forigen LanguagesJournal of Philosophical Investigations2251-79602423-44192025-03-01195040543610.22034/jpiut.2025.65178.396819278Evaluation and Analysis of the Embodied Mind PerspectiveMohamad-Mahdi Moghadas0Ali Fath-Taheri1Abdul-Razzaq Hesamifar2Shirzad Peik-Herfeh3Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Philosophy, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, IranProfessor, Department of Philosophy, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, IranProfessor, Department of Philosophy, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, IranAssociate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, IranThis paper evaluates the embodied mind perspective in light of disembodied approaches to the mind. According to disembodied approaches, the body plays no fundamental role in constituting the mind. Mind and body are considered two distinct entities. This distinction is sometimes ontological and sometimes based on properties or characteristics. In these approaches, the body is described as a substrate, tool, neural realization, or container. In contrast, the embodied mind perspective argues that the mind is inherently embodied. The body constitutes the mind. Mind and body are not two distinct entities, but rather a single entity. Concepts, thoughts, emotions, and in sum, mental states and processes are fundamentally embodied. This means that the body plays a pivotal role in their formation. In this perspective, the body is the constitutive, not the substrate or tool. What supports this approach is a collection of empirical and cognitive findings. Based on these findings, the brain, body, and the surrounding environment together form a dynamic system, and mind and cognition are the consequences of this dynamic system. This approach is not merely about description or explanation; rather, the embodied mind is the outcome of an interdisciplinary approach that is supported by numerous empirical findings. However, this approach is not without its criticisms. The most prominent critiques highlight several key issues, including ambiguities in its fundamental principles, a lack of empirical evidence, insufficient consideration of higher-order cognitive processes, and the reductionist tendency to reduce all mental states to physical states. In this paper, we seek to critically analyze and evaluate this perspective, examining its theoretical underpinnings within the broader academic discourse.https://philosophy.tabrizu.ac.ir/article_19278_2819b78db9c94716093ca44d68759d45.pdfembodied mindmindcognitioncognitive scienceenaction
spellingShingle Mohamad-Mahdi Moghadas
Ali Fath-Taheri
Abdul-Razzaq Hesamifar
Shirzad Peik-Herfeh
Evaluation and Analysis of the Embodied Mind Perspective
Journal of Philosophical Investigations
embodied mind
mind
cognition
cognitive science
enaction
title Evaluation and Analysis of the Embodied Mind Perspective
title_full Evaluation and Analysis of the Embodied Mind Perspective
title_fullStr Evaluation and Analysis of the Embodied Mind Perspective
title_full_unstemmed Evaluation and Analysis of the Embodied Mind Perspective
title_short Evaluation and Analysis of the Embodied Mind Perspective
title_sort evaluation and analysis of the embodied mind perspective
topic embodied mind
mind
cognition
cognitive science
enaction
url https://philosophy.tabrizu.ac.ir/article_19278_2819b78db9c94716093ca44d68759d45.pdf
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AT shirzadpeikherfeh evaluationandanalysisoftheembodiedmindperspective