The Selected Writings of Edward S. Reed brings to light the groundbreaking contributions of one of the most original thinkers in ecological psychology and philosophy of mind.This volume offers readers a rare opportunity to engage with the depth and breadth of Reed’s theoretical insights. Edward S. Reed (1954–1997) was a thinker whose work forged a path for the integration of ecological psychology with philosophy, evolutionary theory, and political thought. Reed’s unique synthesis of James Gibson’s ecological approach with Darwinian and pragmatist perspectives yielded a philosophy of perception and action that was both radical and empirically grounded. Despite his untimely death, Reed left behind a body of work that continues to challenge conventional views in psychology and the cognitive sciences. This book includes Reed’s key published writings, complemented by previously unpublished manuscripts that reveal his intellectual development and expanding concerns. The editors have also compiled a series of remembrances written by prominent ecological psychologists and his family, who reflect on Reed’s impact, both personal and professional, and inside and outside ecological psychology.As the fields of the philosophy of mind and the cognitive sciences increasingly turns toward embodied and situated approaches, Reed’s ideas emerge as strikingly prescient. His integration of ecological psychology with philosophical rigor and socio-political awareness makes his work more relevant today than ever. This collection not only honors Reed’s memory but also reintroduces his voice into contemporary conversations where it is sorely needed.
Manuel Heras-Escribano is Professor Titular at the University of Granada in Spain.Anthony Chemero is Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy and Psychology in University of Cincinnati, United States.
AcknowledgmentsManuel Heras-Escribano & Anthony ChemeroPrefaceManuel Heras-Escribano & Anthony ChemeroIntroduction: The Legacy of Edward S. Reed for Philosophy and Ecological Psychology Harry HeftSection I: Key Writings by Edward S. ReedAn ecological approach to the evolution of behaviorSpace perception and the psychologist’s fallacyThe intention to use a specific affordance: A frameworkfor psychology.From traditional metaphysics of the soul to experimentalpsychology: The science of mindJames J. Gibson: Pioneer and iconoclast.The development of action in ecological and cultural contextsAn Outline of a Theory of Action Systems.The Cycle of Abuse: Personal and Political.The trapped infinity: Cartesian volition as conceptual Nightmare.Neural Regulation of Adaptive Behavior.Cognition as the Cooperative Appropriation of AffordancesSection II: Unpublished ManuscriptsUnpublished manuscripts of The Mind Alive. A biography of William JamesIntroduction. A Darwin of the Mind.Father1842-81848-55Unpublished manuscripts on Philosophy and Ecological PsychologyAn ecological approach to mental contentHow to combine scepticism and realismPerceptive ThinkingUnpublished manuscripts on social and political issuesFor a League of Citizens for Democratic ChangeUnpluggedSpread hopeSection III: Remembrances of Edward S. ReedRemembrances from the family of Edward S. ReedRemembrance of Jeffrey WagmanCitation in honor of Reed’s being posthumously awarded the Bradley R. Dewey Award for Outstanding Scholarship by Fred OwensObituary by Bill Mace