After eight episodes where we discussed intricacies of different areas of cognitive science — reasoning, the evolution of cultures, our relationship to our bodies, public policy, how children learn language, schizophrenia, the relationship between economics and neuroscience – one can wonder, what even is cognitive science?. How can a field of scientific investigation cover such a wide array of diverse phenomena across different levels of explanation? Why even use the term ‘cognitive science’? Don’t neuroscience and psychology cover it all? Well, there are answers to this question. In today’s episode, in order to gain some clarity and a step back, we turn towards the history and foundations of cognitive science.

Pierre Jacob, is CNRS emeritus director of research. He is one of the founding members of the European Society for Analytic Philosophy and, from 2001 to 2009, was the first director of Institut Jean Nicod. Pierre has had an outstanding career as a philosopher of mind and cognitive science. He has worked on the nature of representations and explanations in psychology, on visual perception, and most recently, on our ability to understand the minds of others and its developmental roots. He is the author of multiple academic books, including, but not limited to: What Minds Can Do: Intentionality in a Non-Intentional World, in 1997, Ways of Seeing: The Scope and Limits of Visual Cognition, in 2003 with renowned neuroscientist Marc Jeannerod. 

Tyler Burge's NY Times article here

Credits:

Interview: Tanay Katiyar and Jay Richardson

Artwork: Ella Bergru

Editing: Jay Richardson

Music: Thelma Samuel and Robin Baradel

Communication: Tanay Katiyar