Atypical Minds: the Cognitive Science of Difference and Potentialities
Cognitio 2015
Young researchers conference in cognitive science
Montréal, June 8th, 9th and 10th 2015
Cognitio is a young researchers’ conference held every other year at the Université du Québec à Montréal, under the auspices of its Cognitive Science Institute.
Over the past several years at Cognitio, many facets of the human mind were explored: decision making (2005); situated minds (2006); social cognition (2007); the evolution of minds and cultures (2009); nonhuman minds, including animal, artificial and group minds (2011) and creativity in art and discovery (2013).
This year’s Cognitio conference will revolve around the cognitive aspects of mental states that display the differences and potentialities of the human mind. We will question the possibility of establishing limits between the functions and dysfunctions of the cognitive system.
Every presentation that addresses mental troubles as atypical cognitive status from interdisciplinary interactions including psychiatry will be more than welcome, provided that there is a clear link with cognitive science. This topic can be approached from various angles. These include, but are not limited to: neuroscience, psychology, artificial intelligence, philosophy, cognitive informatics, anthropology, etc.
Suggested topics include:
- Is there such thing as a typical or an atypical mind? Does or should such a taxonomy address synaesthesia, trance or genius? Autism spectrum disorders? Giftedness?
- Can mental illnesses be reduced to neurological problems or do they have irreducible mental elements, such as intentionality, consciousness or rationality? Is the distinction between mental disease and physical disease the last bastion of mind-body dualism? Can we eliminate dualism without reducing mental troubles to neurological disorders? What’s the role of neuropsychiatry?
- What is a mental disease? How have mental troubles been defined through history? Is every cognitive dysfunction a mental illness? Are the notions of handicap or mental illness useful besides working as classification systems? Do they allow us to identify natural kinds? How do different societies interpret these classifications? Do they integrate the differences or highlight the potentialities that these classification reveal?
- Is psychiatry explanatory? If psychiatry is not explanatory, is it still a science?
- What recent technological and scientific advances have led to a better understanding of mechanisms of mental disease?
- How can we integrate the findings from different levels (molecular, cellular, networks) in computer simulations of different types of diseases (schizophrenia, Parkinson, epilepsy, etc.)? Is there a possible therapeutic role for these simulations?
- What are the main philosophical arguments against psychiatry? Is it possible to build a psychiatric science that moves away from the stigmatisation and alienation of those who are different? Or is a change of paradigm needed to study mental conditions? What options do we have?
Submissions are now closed.