Intertwined Creatures

Reviews / Votes

Chemero has produced another phenomenal book, this time in the grand tradition of philosophical anthropology. He applies the concept of a synergy, which has had a significant impact in biology and complex systems theory, to illuminate and ground the related notions of interpersonal intertwining from continental phenomenology and of solidarity from American pragmatism. The result is a unique and exciting study of who we are as persons. -- Michael L. Anderson, Rotman Family Foundation Canada Research Chair in Philosophy of Science, University of Western Ontario In Intertwined Creatures Chemero deftly covers the spectrum of radical ecological and enactive philosophies and the interactive principles of embodied cognitive science. Brains, bodies, and environments that include technologies and especially other people and cultural practices-these are elements that form the "intertwined" mind. In extraordinarily clear terms, Chemero builds bridges to pragmatist, continental, and feminist philosophies, demonstrating natural connections and extending the relevance of ecological-enactive thinking to ethical and social-political contexts. -- Shaun Gallagher, author of <i>The Self and Its Disorders</i> In an age where AI is the zeitgeist, the individual brain is a computer, and thinking is computation, Anthony Chemero provides a compelling rebuttal-backed by empirical research and dynamical systems modeling-that favors what he calls the intertwined self. Chemero leads an impressive group of philosophers and scientists who conceive of a mind centered on embodiment, environment, and other members of the human species. Those seeking an antidote to AI, or at least a complement of it, should take a dose of Intertwined Creatures as soon as possible. They won't regret it. -- Scott Kelso, author of <i>Dynamic Patterns: The Self-Organization of Brain and Behavior</i> This is an original, engaging, and erudite book that makes a critical intervention into contemporary philosophies of embodiment. Challenging standard views in both cognitive science and philosophy of mind, Chemero's conception of the intertwined self redraws bodily boundaries and identity categories in a way that radically reorientates ethical and political theory. -- Moira Gatens, Department of Philosophy, University of Sydney