Cognitive science and its philosophical roots

Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary study of mind which embraces diciplines such as philosophy, psychology, neurology, computer science, linguistics and anthropology. It explores the interaction of the mind with the external world through concepts and mechanisms such as perception, learning, memory, and reason. The fundamental elements of cognitive science are the concept of mental representation and the computational point of view of the mind. Cognitive processes are presented by the types of mental representations such as symbols, diagrams, images, concepts, analogies. The computers are important for cognitive science in two aspects. The first one is establishing an analogy between computer and mind and the second one is writing and using computer programs in order to explain the mind. On the other hand, for generations, philosophy provides ideas about how the human mind works and it aims to broaden our knowledge by asking questions about mind. Philosophy begins to question the nature of the mind especially after Descartes. The mind-body problem leads to the emergence of new ideas about the nature of the mind. Cognitive science seeks falsifiable and observable answers to the questions about how the mind works. In this study, we have tried to show that conceptual richness, critical approach and historical background of philosophy is crucial for cognitive science in its effort to explain the mind. Thus, for a better understanding of the mind, preserving the close relationship between cognitive science and philosophy is essential. We propose that it will be insufficient to explain the mind without benefiting from the tradition and cultural accumulation of philosophy.