Andy Clark | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1957 (age 68–69) |
| Education | |
| Alma mater | University of Stirling |
| Philosophical work | |
| Era | 21st-century philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Analytic philosophy |
| Institutions | University of Sussex University of Edinburgh Indiana University Bloomington Washington University in St. Louis |
| Main interests | Philosophy of mind |
| Notable ideas | Extended mind |
Andy Clark (born 1957) is a Britishphilosopher. He is professor of cognitive philosophy at theUniversity of Sussex. Prior to this, he was a professor ofphilosophy andchair inlogic andmetaphysics at theUniversity of Edinburgh, director of thecognitive science program atIndiana University Bloomington, and rhetorical director of thephilosophy-psychology-neuroscience program atWashington University in St. Louis.
Clark is one of the founding members of the CONTACT collaborative research project, whose aim is to investigate the role environment plays in shaping the nature ofconscious experience.[1] Clark's papers and books deal with thephilosophy of mind and he is considered a leading scholar[2] on the subject ofmind extension. He has also written extensively onconnectionism,robotics and the role and nature ofmental representation.[3]
Clark has suggested a two-way "cascade of cortical processing" underlyingperception,action, andlearning.[citation needed] He posits a model where 'error units' are generated by comparing the expected outcome of a given process with the actual outcome, and these are used to refine the prediction of outcome in the future, creating afeedback loop between prediction and error. He posits that interactions between the 'forward' flow of error and 'backward' flow of prediction are dynamic, with factors such as attention, dopamine production, changes in environment, and one's individual personality affecting this two-way system.[4]
Clark's writings also focus on the concept oftranshumanism, such as in his workNatural-Born Cyborgs, which explores the fusion of human biology and technological implants through a series of contemporary technological studies and an evaluation of thecyborg figure in pop-culture.[5]"[5]
Clark has also worked on theextended mind thesis, which says that the mind extends into the environment. Clark spoke about this thesis in TEDxLambeth 2019.[6]
Clark lives inBrighton, England, with his partner, Alexa Morcom, acognitive neuroscientist.[7]
Books by Andy Clark:
Clark is also on the editorial boards of the following journals:
