Neuroeconomics beyond the brain: some externalist notions of choice

Enrico Petracca

Journal of Economic Methodology, 2020, vol. 27, issue 4, 275-291

Abstract: Neuroeconomics is rather uncontroversially intended as a brain-centric research enterprise. This paper challenges the brain-centric approach to neuroeconomics – which can be traced back to a more general brain-centric bias in neuroscience – by exploring different possibilities opened up by externalist philosophy of mind and neuroscience. In particular, we consider embodied cognition and extended cognition as two fields of study suitable for exploring different routes of neuroeconomics beyond the brain. While embodied cognition considers the neural system in its whole-body dimension, extended cognition studies how extra-neural resources can either substitute or integrate with neural resources. As the main explanatory target of neuroeconomics is decision-making, the notions of ‘embodied choice’ and ‘extended choice’ are introduced and discussed. The impact of these notions on Paul Glimcher’s physiological subjective utility theory is also discussed.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1080/1350178X.2020.1789690

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