Embodiment of Rationality: Philosophical Interpretation of Embodied Cognition

Under the influence of European rationalism, which holds that human rationality is higher than, or at least independent of human sensory cognition, the first generation of cognitive science advocates for disembodied cognition, manifesting the concept of dualism of mind and body.With the development of cognitive science in the 1980s, the second generation of cognitive science redefines the relationship between mind and body, thought and behavior, and reason and feeling and puts forward the concept of embodied cognition, representing monism of mind and body.It is claimed that the formation of concepts, categorical cognition and the evolution of rational thinking are characterized by embodiment, which is the necessary condition and basis for the formation of human rationality.The current study traces the shift of cognitive science from dualism to monism of mind and body and explores the relationship between rationality and sensibility from the perspective of philosophical basis and interpretations, with an aim to achieve a better understanding and thorough interpretation of human rationality.In this heated discussion about embodied cognition, there are still some fundamental questions that need to be further clarified, such as the essence and mechanism of human cognition, the ways that human body participates in cognitive activities, especially imagination and reasoning.The research paradigm of embodied cognition and its relevant theory have not been established and developed yet, and empirical research from interdisciplinary perspectives is far from enough to provide hard evidence for embodied cognition.