Doroteya Nikolova

The concepts of cognitive linguistics (CL), based on modern neuroscience, can contribute to setting new scopes on solving the problem of the explanatory gap between the mental component of mind as an important element of the mind and the physical nature of the brain, which is a key problem in the philosophy of mind. This article makes an analytical overview of the subject and problems in CL. We focus on language with its underlying unconscious processes and the idea of dynamic metaphor that presents mind as a movement that is not isolated in the brain, but exists as embodied, embedded, extended, enactive mind – 4E cogtnition. We examine the foundation theory of cognitive linguistics initially established by George Lakoff and we study the implications in the related academic fields. The aim is to outline a coherent approach for establishing the mechanisms of mind and thinking with a greater approximation using the methods of CL through language. We hold the assumption that the postulates of CL have a higher explanatory significance and are therefore more relevant to philosophical and scientific debate than the currently influential concepts of Computational Representational Theory of Mind (RCTM), connectivist theories, as well as the underlying views in analytic philosophy based on the correspondence theory of truth. Keywords: Philosophy of mind, cognitive linguistics, consciousness, mind, language, concept, neuroscience, unconscious processes, dynamic metaphor for the mind

This article explores the Predictive Processing Theory (PP/Predictive Coding), or in other words– the theory of the anticipating brain, which is based on the principles of Bayesian statistics. It examines this theory’s metaphysical strategy which fits into the contemporary philosophical project of naturalization and its strong dependence on the natural sciences. The explanatory power of the theory demonstrates how the mind operates, including the opportunities this framework provides for a better understanding of the hard problem of consciousness. The emphasis is placed on the necessity of including it in the Bulgarian language debate within the field of philosophy of mind and related disciplines. This work reviews the contributions of key theorists in the field such as Karl Friston, Jacob Hohwy, Andy Clark and Anil Seth. Keywords: Predictive Processing Theory, mind, anticipating brain, hard problem of consciousness, philosophy of mind.

This article provides an analytical overview of contemporary schools and directions in the philosophy of mind and language from the 20th and 21st centuries, which present concepts and views on metaphor, in particular cognitive metaphor. It is focused on the study of conceptual metaphor (Lakoff and Johnson) and conceptual integration (Fauconier and Turner) in cognitive linguistics. The aim is to establish a theoretical framework and practical application of the considered theories. It is hypothesized that conscious thinking is based on unconscious conceptual system largely through mechanism of metaphor, which also involves affect, and takes place at a neural level in the brain. The cognitive unconscious, which models our mental operations related to conceptual systems, concepts, inferences, and language, is foregrounded. A key point is the understanding that the body and environment are involved in structuring our concepts of reality (4E cognition).

This article examines the compatibility of Predictive Processing Theory (PPT), or the theory of anticipatory brain, with other contemporary scientific and philosophical frameworks that offer promising approaches to explaining consciousness and mind in general. It analyzes the connections between PPT and theories that include the body and the environment in structuring our concepts of reality, such as that of embodied and situated consciousness—4E cognition, as well as Cognitive Linguistics with its understanding of Conceptual Metaphor. At the same time, it investigates the metaphysical strategy of PPT, which fits into the current philosophical project of naturalization and its associated strong dependence on the natural sciences. It explores the contributions of key theorists in the field such as Carl Friston, Jacob Hohwy, Andy Clark, and Anil Seth.