Category Archive Browsing Category: stigmergy

In its most generic formulation, stigmergy (an optimization technique) is the phenomenon of indirect communication mediated by modifications of the environment.

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cognitive science, consciousness, Dennett, extended mind, philosophy of mind, social epistemology, stigmergy, swarm intelligence, videos

Dennett’s Popular Lecture Series

 Dennett on top form: Can we know our own minds? (23 minutes)   ==================================== 1. Darwin’s Dangerous Idea (60 minutes)  2. The Magic of Consciousness (56 minutes) The following readings are highly relevant to the Extended Mind and stigmergy literature 3. Kind of Minds Pt 1 What Kinds of Minds Are There? (37 minutes) 4. Kinds…

cognitive science, consciousness, editorial projects, extended mind, metaphysics, philosophy of mind, social epistemology, stigmergy, swarm intelligence

Perspectives on Social Cognition: Contents

Special Issue of Cognitive Systems Research – Perspectives on Social Cognition Some papers are now available as pre-press versions. 1. Introduction to Perspectives on Social Cognition – Leslie Marsh & Christian Onof 2. Functionalism and mental boundaries – Lawrence Shapiro 3. Consciousness and the social mind – Philip Robbins 4. Social relationships and groups: New…

social epistemology, stigmergy, swarm intelligence

Swarm Theory Enters Mainstream

I was alerted by fellow swarm theorist Simon Garnier to an introduction to swarm theory in the latest issue of National Geographic Magazine. This is just the latest in the popularization of swarm theory: previous instances being Gladwell’s The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference (2000) and Surowiecki’s The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are…

articles, cognitive modeling, cognitive science, consciousness, epistemology, extended mind, forthcoming, hayek, philosophy of mind, political philosophy, social epistemology, social ontology, stigmergy, swarm intelligence

Hayek: Cognitive Scientist Avant la Lettre

The following is an abstract for my forthcoming (2009) contibution to: The Social Science of Hayek’s ‘The Sensory Order’ William N. Butos, Volume Editor Advances in Austrian Economics Hayek: Cognitive Scientist Avant la Lettre This paper conceives of Hayek’s overall project as presenting a theory of sociocognition, explication of which has a twofold purpose: 1.…

cognitive science, consciousness, extended mind, hayek, oakeshott, philosophy of mind, political philosophy, social epistemology, stigmergy

Hayek: father of social epistemology and cognitive scientist avant la lettre

Friedrich Hayek must rate as one the greatest intellects of the twentieth century. I take the view that his achievement is on a par with his cousin – Wittgenstein. Most people know Hayek for his political philosophy, philosophy of economics, philosophy of social science and philosophical jurisprudence. The distinctive and unifying thread across all Hayek’s thought was…

articles, cognitive modeling, cognitive science, consciousness, epistemology, extended mind, philosophy of mind, political philosophy, social epistemology, stigmergy

Stigmergic Epistemology, Stigmergic Cognition

A co-authored paper with Chris Onof, Faculty of Engineering, Imperial College London and School of Philosophy, Birkbeck College London. A pre-press version is available for download here. Final to appear in Cognitive Systems Research Special Issue. Abstract: To know is to cognize, to cognize is to be a culturally bounded, rationality-bounded and environmentally located agent. Knowledge and cognition…

consciousness, social epistemology, stigmergy

Building a resource

  In a stigmergical spirit, I welcome anyone who has an interest in the topic and who would like to a be a contributor to all things stigmergic: a) online discussion forum; b) the compiling of a list of online papers and other online resources; c) a list of theorists with a link to their websites. …