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Varieties of the extended self
1Department of Politics, Media & Philosophy, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
Consciousness and Cognition
|August 22, 2020
Summary
The extended self concept reveals that personal identity boundaries are not fixed, extending beyond the body into artifacts and social structures. This research explores how embodiment, cognition, and character traits contribute to a fluid sense of self.
Area of Science:
- Philosophy of Mind
- Cognitive Science
- Psychology
Background:
- The traditional view of the self is often confined to the biological organism.
- Recent philosophical and scientific literature explores the concept of an 'extended self'.
- Understanding the boundaries of the self is crucial for various fields.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview and analysis of recent work on the extended self.
- To examine how the self extends across biological, artifactual, and sociocultural domains.
- To explore the implications of the extended self for personal identity and consciousness.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and analysis of philosophical, psychological, and cognitive science research.
- Distinction between minimal self, person, and narrative self.
- Examination of arguments for extended embodiment, cognition, emotion, consciousness, and moral traits.
Main Results:
- The boundaries of the self are demonstrated to be fluid and dynamic.
- The self can extend into non-biological and non-psychological structures.
- Significant focus is placed on the relationship between the extended mind and extended self.
Conclusions:
- The extended self challenges traditional notions of personal identity.
- Conceptual, methodological, and normative implications of the extended self are significant.
- Future research directions are proposed for understanding the extended self.
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