Cognitive Science and the Reconceptualization of Social Theory

Cognitive Science and the Reconceptualization of Social Theory explores how core social science ideas can be naturalized and reconceptualized through the lens of cognitive science. It bridges the gap between emerging cognitive research and established social theory by demonstrating how concepts central to sociology and related fields can be understood in cognitive science terms. This book’s distinctive approach lies in its deep historical engagement with social science concepts, tracing their development from classical social theory through to contemporary debates. It examines the tensions between traditional computational approaches and newer 4E (embodied, embedded, enacted, extended) cognitive theories, while addressing why social sciences have been slow to engage with cognitive science. This book is aimed at scholars and postgraduate students working at the intersection of social science and cognitive science, including sociologists, philosophers, cognitive scientists, and researchers in emerging interdisciplinary fields like social neuroscience. It will particularly appeal to those seeking to understand how traditional social theory can engage with contemporary cognitive research without losing its conceptual richness.