Place: Pakhuis de Zwijger, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Date: June 6-7, 2012
Organization: Eindhoven University of Technology

According to the thesis of extended cognition, cognitive processes do not need to be located inside the skin of the cognizing agent. Humans routinely engage their wider artifactual environment to extend the capacities of their naked brain. They often rely so much on external aids (notebooks, watches, smartphones) that the latter may become a proper part of the cognizing mind.

The thesis of extended cognition has been influential in the philosophy of mind, cognitive science, linguistics, informatics, and ethics, but, surprisingly, not in contemporary epistemology. The discipline concerned with one of the most remarkable products of human cognition, viz. knowledge, has largely ignored the suggestion that her main object of study might be produced by processes outside the human
skin.

The purpose of the conference therefore is to examine the impact of extended cognition on epistemology. Papers presented at the conference have gone through peer-review already, for an upcoming special issue of Philosophical Explorations on the topic of “Extended Cognition and Epistemology” (guest-edited by Andy Clark, Duncan Pritchard and Krist Vaesen).

Apology :: The organizers of the conference sincerely regret the gender imbalance in the list of contributors. They admit that they should have, before the list of contributions became final, taken more proactive measures to guarantee a better gender balance in the special issue/conference line-up.

Registration

Students:

• Registration is free, and includes two lunches, snacks and refreshments during the conference.

PhD Students:

• Registration: 75 euros.
• Registration includes two lunches, snacks and refreshments during the conference, and a copy of the special issue of Philosophical Explorations on “Extended Cognition and Epistemology”.

Faculty members:

• Registration: 125 euros.
• Registration includes two lunches, snacks and refreshments during the conference, and a copy of the special issue of Philosophical Explorations on “Extended Cognition and Epistemology”.

You can register for the conference by emailing Marieke van Holland. Please indicate whether you are a faculty member, PhD student, or student.

After you have registered for the conference, you will receive a confirmation email indicating how you can pay the conference fee.

Participants may combine their visit with a visit to the 2012 Episteme conference, which is organized by our colleagues of Delft University of Technology, right after our conference, namely 8-10 June, in Den Haag, the Netherlands.

Organization

The conference is hosted by the section Philosophy & Ethics of Eindhoven University of Technology, in close collaboration with Andy Clark and Duncan Pritchard of the University of Edinburgh. The conference is generously sponsored by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO).

Getting there

By plane: fly to Amsterdam (Schiphol Airport), and take a train there to Amsterdam Central Station.
By train: take an (international) train to Amsterdam Central Station.
By car: follow directions here

The conference location, Pakhuis de Zwijger, is located closely to Amsterdam Central Station.  You can reach it by taking Tram 26 to “IJburg” and getting off at “Kattenburgstraat”. The address is: Pakhuis de Zwijger, Piet Heinkade 181-K 1019 HC Amsterdam .

Accommodation

Two hotels are located very close to the conference site:
Lloyd Hotel
Mövenpick Hotel

Close to Amsterdam Central Station, many other options are available. More information can be found here.