The Perception & Action Podcast 562 – Ecological Cognition III: Radical Embodied Cognitive Science (part 1)
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Feb 24, 2026 A deep dive into radical embodied cognitive science and why cognition can be seen as agent–environment dynamics rather than internal computation. Traces the history from structuralism and behaviorism to robotics and dynamical systems. Discusses experiments and models showing behavior arising without internal representations. Explores challenges like scaling and tasks thought to need internal representation.
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Cognition As Agent Environment Dynamics
- Radical embodied cognitive science describes cognition as agent–environment dynamics rather than internal computation.
- Rob Gray emphasizes building theories from empirical evidence, not from a priori assumptions like innate grammar claims.
Build Alternatives Rather Than Debunk Rivals
- Avoid debating theories by elimination; instead present viable, testable alternatives.
- Rob Gray warns ecological researchers to focus on building explanations rather than disproving computational approaches.
Gibsonian Perception Is For Doing
- Gibson's functionalism argues perception depends on activity and ecology rather than internal structure alone.
- Perception is for doing, so information for action is directly available in the environment, not constructed internally.
