Embodying Bounded Rationality: From Embodied Bounded Rationality to Embodied Rationality

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Science
• Philosophy of Mind
• Decision Theory

Background:

• Embodied cognition theories offer diverse perspectives on the role of the body in cognitive processes.
• Herbert Simon's concept of bounded rationality provides a foundational, disembodied model of decision-making.
• Existing research lacks a comprehensive framework integrating varying degrees of embodiment with rationality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how different viewpoints of embodied cognition can inform novel theories of rationality.
• To establish a spectrum of embodied rationality, ranging from moderate to radical interpretations.
• To propose new conceptual labels for different levels of embodiment in rationality research.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of embodied cognition theories against Herbert Simon's bounded rationality.
• Conceptual development of terms like "embodied bounded rationality," "body rationality," "extended rationality," and "embodied rationality."
• Exploration of how increasing levels of embodiment transform the concept of rationality.

Main Results:

• Herbert Simon's bounded rationality serves as a baseline for disembodied decision-making.
• Moderate embodiment can refine bounded rationality, termed "embodied bounded rationality."
• Radical embodiment offers a transformative approach to rationality, termed "embodied rationality."

Conclusions:

• Intermediate levels of embodiment, such as "body rationality" and "extended rationality," also offer valuable insights.
• The spectrum of embodied cognition provides a rich framework for advancing research on rationality.
• Integrating embodiment into rationality models offers new avenues for understanding human decision-making.