Widening the Mind: Looking Beyond the Brain in Cognitive Science (Philosophy‪)‬

Where should we look if we want to understand the mind? Philosophers and cognitive scientists have tended to follow Descartes in assuming that the mind must be something internal to individuals. This is understandable when we consider the intimate relation between the brain and mind. Taking its biological and social function seriously, however, we find that the mind permeates a massive cognitive iceberg that cannot be reduced to the operations of the brain. I argue that the move by some cognitive scientists and philosophers of mind to widen their conception of mind is well motivated. **********