Cognitive Adaptation: A Pragmatist Perspective

210 Pages·2008·7.14 MB·English

by  Jay Schulkin

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cognitive adaptation
CognitiveAdaptation:APragmatistPerspectivearguesthatthereisafunda-
mentallinkbetweencognitive/neuralsystemsandevolutionthatunderlies
human activity. One important result is that the line between nature and
cultureandscientificandhumanisticinquiryisquitepermeable–thetwo
arefairlycontinuouswitheachother.Twoconceptsfigureimportantlyinour
humanascent:agencyandanimacy.Thefirstistherecognitionofanother
person as having beliefs, desires, and a sense of experience. The second
termistherecognitionofanobjectasalive,apieceofbiology.Bothreflecta
predilectioninourcognitivearchitecturethatisfundamentaltoanevolving,
butfragile,senseofhumanity.Thebookfurtherarguesforaregulativenorm
of self-corrective inquiry, an appreciation of the hypothetical nature of all
knowledge.JaySchulkin’sperspectiveisrootedincontemporarybehavioral,
cognitiveneuroscienceandclassicalpragmatism.
JaySchulkinisaresearchprofessorfortheDepartmentsofPhysiologyand
BiophysicsandNeuroscienceatGeorgetownUniversity.Heistheauthorof
numeroustexts,includingTheNeuroendocrineRegulationofBehavior,Roots
ofSocialSensibilityandNeuralFunction,BodilySensibility:IntelligentAction,
andAllostasis,Homeostasis,andtheCostsofPhysiologicalAdaptation.

Cognitive Adaptation
a pragmatist perspective
Jay Schulkin
GeorgetownUniversity
CAMBRIDGEUNIVERSITYPRESS
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Cambridge University Press
The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB28RU, UK
Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York
www.cambridge.org
Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521517911
© Jay Schulkin 2009
This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of
relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place
without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published in print format 2008
ISBN-13 978-0-511-42895-1 eBook (EBL)
ISBN-13 978-0-521-51791-1 hardback
Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of urls
for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not
guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
ForJeffreyRosen,LouisSchmidt,andDavidWeissman;Iamvery
gratefulfortheloveandsupport.

contents
Preface pageix
Introduction 1
1. CognitiveAdaptation,Objects,andInquiry 18
2. TheHumanSituation:UncertaintyandAdaptation 38
3. TimeandMemory:HistoricalSensibilities 67
4. EducationalSensibilities 94
5. AnInstinctforSpiritualQuests:QuietReligion 123
Conclusion:DemythologizedReason 144
References 155
Index 191
vii