On PKMs and the extended mind thesis

from:: Memex
related:: On why and how I use Obsidian as my PKM

Some of the mechanisms for how a notes system can be so beneficial are becoming clearer due to the recent extended mind perspective advanced by Andy Clark and David Chalmers. That is, the "second brain" metaphor for a PKM notes system is not as metaphorical as one might think.

The extended mind theory suggests that our mind's boundaries are not the same as our brain's. Our conscious experience (the intangible mental properties, qualia, etc. that we consider part of our mind, as opposed to the anatomical brain) can extend beyond our head, into our limbs, and even into the tools we use. Consider the cognition of a baseball player at bat - the batter must perceive their bat as an extension of their body to be effective. Or consider the lost art of memorizing phone numbers due to being able to rely on cell phones instead of our brain - we only need to remember how to access that info, regardless of where it is. Chalmers has a good introductory explanation.

There are no compelling reasons to insist that the locus of cognition must only occur inside our skull. In fact, the crux of the mind-body problem is the difficulty in explaining the fundamentally subjective and inherently intangible nature of conscious experience nonetheless occurring in a tangible body. The extended mind hypothesis partially alleviates this crux by taking a less reductive and less ontologically-prescriptive approach with a greater weight given to the emergent and qualitative aspects of the mind.

Further, the extended mind theory is just part of a broader and comprehensive new theory of the mind as laid out by Clark in The Experience Machine, which I highly recommend. The book reveals numerous interesting implications in the philosophy of mind, mental health, psychology, neuroscience, and the philosophy of technology.

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