Embodied Cognition (DD3009)

The goal of the course is to give the students an insight into how the concept of embodied cognition can be interpreted from different perspectives. In particular, we will analyze state-of-the-art research in robotics, computational neuroscience, and speech, all relating in one way or another to the idea that the nature and capabilities of the mind is tightly coupled to the form of the body.

Within philosophy, embodied cognition refers to the hypothesis that all aspects of cognition, such as ideas, thoughts, concepts and categories are shaped by aspects of the body. These aspects include the perceptual system, the intuitions that underlie the ability to move, activities and interactions with our environment and the naive understanding of the world that is built into the body and the brain.

In this course we will approach this cross-diciplinary field by a combination of round table discussions, invited talks, and critical screening of relevant articles from the different research fields.