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Considering the theory that our tools and digital devices are literally parts of our cognitive processes.
If you lost your smartphone today, would you feel like you lost a tool, or would it feel like you lost a piece of your brain?
In 1998, philosophers Andy Clark and David Chalmers proposed the Extended Mind Thesis (EMT). At its core is the Parity Principle: If a process in the world functions in a way that we would call 'cognitive' if it happened inside the head, then that part of the world is part of the mind. This challenges Internalism, the idea that the mind is locked inside the skull. Instead, they argue for Functionalism: what matters is what a system does, not what it is made of. If we define the mind as and the brain as , the EMT suggests , where represents external tools that perform cognitive labor.
Quick Check
According to the Parity Principle, what determines if a tool is part of your mind?
Answer
Its function; if it performs a task that would be considered cognitive if done by the brain, it is part of the mind.
To illustrate EMT, Clark and Chalmers use the thought experiment of Otto and Inga. Inga wants to go to a museum; she thinks, recalls the address from her biological memory, and goes. Otto has Alzheimer’s and relies on a notebook. When he wants to go to the museum, he looks up the address in his notebook. The authors argue there is no functional difference between Inga’s neurons and Otto’s notebook. Both are coupled systems that provide reliable, accessible information. In the modern world, your smartphone acts as 'Otto’s Notebook' on steroids, providing external memory that is often more reliable than our biological recall.
Consider navigating a new city: 1. Internalism: You memorize a map and use spatial reasoning to turn left or right. 2. Extended Mind: You use a GPS. The device calculates the route () based on your location (). 3. The Loop: You don't just 'use' the GPS; your brain offloads the spatial calculation to the satellite-linked processor. The cognitive process of 'navigation' is now distributed across the human-device system.
Quick Check
In the Otto and Inga experiment, why is the notebook considered 'cognitive'?
Answer
Because it functions as a reliable, accessible store of information, just like biological memory.
The internet isn't just a library; it is Active Externalism. Unlike a book, digital tools interact with us in real-time. Algorithms predict our thoughts, and digital footprints (our search history, likes, and locations) create a 'data double' of our identity. If our memories and preferences are stored on servers, the 'self' becomes a distributed network. This raises ethical questions: if someone hacks your cloud storage, have they committed a digital 'lobotomy'? If our cognitive processes are , and half of those processes happen on a server, the boundary of the 'self' is no longer the skin, but the edge of the network.
Imagine you are writing an essay and use an AI autocomplete tool: 1. You start a sentence: 'The ethical implications of...' 2. The AI suggests: '...digital surveillance are profound.' 3. You accept the suggestion. 4. The Challenge: Who 'thought' of that sentence? If the AI is part of your extended cognitive loop, the 'author' is a hybrid system. This challenges the traditional view of the 'Self' as a singular, biological author of thoughts.
Which philosophical theory focuses on what a system DOES rather than what it is MADE OF?
What is the primary difference between 'Inga' and 'Otto' in the thought experiment?
According to the Extended Mind Thesis, a smartphone is only a tool and cannot be considered a part of the human mind.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to explain the 'Otto and Inga' story to a friend and see if they agree that the notebook is part of Otto's mind.
Practice Activity
Identify one 'cognitive task' you do daily (like calculating a tip or remembering a phone number) and observe how much of that task is done by your brain versus your device.