2023/02/23 by Frauke Hildebrandt, Ramiro Glauer · 1 voice
Neuroscience · Psychology · #Child and Animal Learning Development #Embodied and Extended Cognition #Social Representations and Identity
paper · doi:10.1080/09515089.2023.2181152
openalex publication_date 2023/02/23 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
We argue that objectivity is acquired by learning to refer to particular situations, that is, by developing episodicity. This contrasts with the widespread idea that genericity is crucial in developing humans’ ability to conceive of an objective world. According to the collective intentionality account, objectivity is acquired by contrasting one’s particular perspective in the “here and now” with a generic group perspective on how things are generally. However, this line of argument rests on confusing two independent notions of genericity: social and worldly genericity. Holding these two notions apart shows that there is no coherent developmental route from episodicity to objectivity via genericity. In effect, the collective intentionality account presupposes objectivity. Alternatively, episodicity may develop by enculturation into the common practice of spatial-indexical use. This ability establishes an initial, socially shared spatiotemporal reference system comprising the basis for objectivity.