The Italian journal Arkete – Rivista annuale di studi filosofici is planning a special issue on “Concept Formation,” also taking empirical perspectives into account.
Abstracts for articles can be submitted until March 31. The call reads:
The nature and structure of concepts have been a central focus of philosophical inquiry for centuries. Understanding how humans develop and apply concepts is essential for various fields, including language, cognition, and reasoning. In recent times, advancements in cognitive science have revitalized these discussions by providing philosophers with empirical tools to more thoroughly investigate and refine these debates. This blend of philosophical theories and empirical findings has led to new insights and perspectives, deepening the understanding of conceptual structures and how they are formed.
Historically, the study of concepts has evolved through diverse philosophical lenses. From the abstract Forms of Plato to Aristotle’s empirical categorization, through the rationalist and empiricist debates of Descartes, Locke, and Hume, to Kant’s synthesis of innate structures and sensory experiences, each era has reshaped the discussion. In modern philosophy, thinkers such as Wittgenstein further transformed the understanding by linking concepts closely to language and its use within social practices.
In the current context, numerous hypotheses have been proposed to explain the essence and mechanisms of concepts. Philosophers have integrated findings from fields such as experimental psychology, cognitive anthropology, neuroscience, linguistics, and ethology to develop and test these ideas.
The Special Issue of Arkete 2024 aims to enrich this ongoing conversation by presenting diverse research and analyses.
Key questions for exploration in this issue include:
- How does concept formation occur?
- What are the primary characteristics of concept formation?
- What role do empirical findings play in shaping our understanding of concept formation?
- How does concept formation occur?
- What are the primary characteristics of concept formation?
- What role do empirical findings play in shaping our understanding of concept formation?
- Identifying attributes
- Grouping objects/events based on similarities and differences
- Generalization and abstraction
- Testing and refining hypotheses about categories
- Impact of linguistic labels on concept acquisition
- Cross-cultural variations in concept formation
- Role of memory in concept learning
- Neural networks and brain regions involved (e.g., prefrontal cortex, hippocampus)
- Connectionist models
- Misconceptions and cognitive biases
- Influence of prior knowledge
- Difficulty with abstract or counterintuitive concepts
Contributors are invited to submit articles for consideration. Submissions should be in English and must not exceed 40,000 characters, including notes and spaces.
Articles should be sent to: osservatorio.ethos@unisi.it.