A weak version of the life-mind continuity thesis entails that every living system also has a basic mind (with a non-representational form of intentionality). The strong version entails that the same concepts that are sufficient to explain basic minds (with non-representational states) are also central to understanding non-basic minds (with representational states). We argue that recent work on the free energy principle supports the following claims with respect to the life-mind continuity thesis: (i) there is a strong continuity between life and mind; (ii) all living systems can be described as if they had representational states; (iii) the ’as-if representationality’ entailed by the free energy principle is central to understanding both basic forms of intentionality and intentionality in non-basic minds. In addition to this, we argue that the free energy principle also renders realism about computation and representation compatible with a strong life-mind continuity thesis (although the free energy principle does not entail computational and representational realism). In particular, we show how representationality proper can be grounded in ’as-if representationality’. View Full-Text

Key words: active inference, autopoiesis, free energy principle, intentionality, life-mind continuity, predictive processing, mental representation

Gibson once suggested that his ecological approach could provide architecture and design with a new theoretical basis. Erik Rietveld takes up this suggestion – the concept of affordances figures prominently not only in his philosophical and scientific work but also in the design practices he is engaged in. However, as Gibson introduced affordances as a functional concept, it seems ill-suited to capture the many dimensions of our lived experience of the (manufactured) environment. Can the concept of affordances also take on the expressive and aesthetic qualities of artifacts and buildings?

Key words: affordances, architecture

Abstract: Addressing methodological issues, I try to clarify relations between radical constructivism and the theories used as a basis of study by describing how social influences experienced by individuals are constructed. Also, I welcome the way other methodological questions may enrich future research by raising the issue of personal contact and inclusion of the first-person perspective in the construction of autism. Next, I discuss (a) the need to re-think the contemporary psychiatric/diagnostic category of autism; (b) some strong and weak points of the enactivist perspective; (c) the issue of inclusion of the “self-illness” relation in research on autism, as well as the validity of the term “illness” in this concept; and (d) the possibility of thinking about autism from the phenomenological perspective inspired by Heidegger’s category of understanding.

Context: Numerous analyses emphasize the historical variability and social construction of the autism category. As a result, many beliefs and stereotypes about autism function unconsciously in social awareness as background knowledge. Problem: We present the results of a survey concerning the social perception of autism and we draw attention to the possible impact of the specific ways in which people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are perceived, as revealed in the survey, on how this social identity might be created. Method: A questionnaire consisting of two parts - closed-ended questions and free associations - was used in the survey. 355 participants answered the questions concerning the nature of autism, its causes, sources of information and experiences in contact with people on the spectrum. Results: The results shows that there exists a cognitively interesting divergence between the level of knowledge declared by the respondents, based on credible sources, which is indicative of a positive attitude toward people with ASD, and the more negative attitude seen in the free associations. Implications: Despite the level of social reflective knowledge, relations between people with ASD and neurotypical people seem to be lined with feelings such as fear, anxiety or uncertainty. This should draw attention to the need for a deeper and more conscious analysis of societal beliefs about autism. Constructivist content: The theoretical framework for this survey is social representations theory (SRT), which derives from the constructivist paradigm. By showing the important role of individuals’ background knowledge in the construction of autism social representation, the results of the survey confirm the usefulness of the constructivist approach to the analysis of the autism phenomenon. Keywords: Autism spectrum, constructivism, social perception of autism, reflective knowledge, background knowledge, identity.­

Based on an enactivist perspective on learning mathematics, we articulate three key processes of designing mathematics-grounding activities (MGAs) where students’ mathematical thinking can be motivated and shaped with the interactions between their enactments and the evolving tasks in the activities. Then, evaluation criteria and design steps will be derived in terms of the key processes. The key processes of designing MGAs, the criteria for evaluating quality MGAs and the design steps also emerged from the reciprocal relationships between theories and practices in the context of the Just Do Math (JDM) program. The processes and steps of designing MGAs suggested in this article can benefit researchers and educators to develop original activities for advancing the learning of mathematics in line with the enactivist perspective. Additionally, the key processes can be further referred to for explanations of how metaphorical grounds of mathematics can emerge under systemic interactions between learners, tasks and social contexts, and how learners’ motivation is integrated into the evolving tasks. Criteria could be applied for not only evaluating the potential of MGAs but also for identifying the weaknesses needed to be modified.

Key words: enactivist, game, mathematics, metaphorical