Cognitive Technologies and the Pragmatics of Cognition

Technology has long been a helpful aid in human cognitive activities. With its growing sophistication and usage, technology is now taking a more intrinsic and active role in human cognition. The shift from an external aid to being an internal component of cognitive processing reflects a revolution in technology, cognition, and their interaction. The creation of such ‘cognitive technologies’ transforms the traditional instrumental function of technology to a constitutive role that shapes and defines cognition itself. This book, which was originally published as a Special Issue of Pragmatics & Cognition 13:3 (2005), explores the new horizon of these ‘cognitive technologies’ and their interactions with humans.

Professor Wendy Hall, Head of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton, UK:
It used to be clear that human cognition was one thing and that technology was another. But in our cyber-era of global networks, multimedia, robots and tools that extend the powers of our eyes, hands and brains it is becoming clear that cognition and technology are much more profoundly interconnected and interactive than we had thought: The demands of our evolutionary past shaped our brains and our cognitive capacities, but now the "tools" we create with those cognitive capacities are drawing upon and unleashing cognitive capacities we did not even know we had. The boundary between what our brains are doing and what our brain-made technology is doing is dissolving. This volume explores this new hybrid, symbiotic world, with chapters by many of its front-line contributors.