Elena Ostos

Fungi have always been the greatly overlooked ones in certain fields. Even though philosophers have begun to wonder whether it is possible to recognize intelligent behaviour in plants, this concern has poorly reached the fungal kingdom. Therefore, this paper aims to raise awareness about intelligent conduct in fungi by exploring the extension of plant neurobiology into the realm of fungal cognition. It traces the historical roots of plant neurobiology and its shift to 4E cognition, challenging traditional cognitive exclusion based on the absence of a nervous system. The study also delves into the debates surrounding minimal cognition criteria within post-cognitivism and examines whether these requirements are satisfied by fungal organisms. Experimental results regarding sensitivity responses in mycelial networks are presented, along with empirical evidence of electrical activity analogous to neuronal processes. In conclusion, this article proposes a post-cognitivist-friendly philosophy of fungal cognition, reframing the absence of a traditional brain as an opportunity to consider the mycelial network as a “hyphae-brain,” similar to the “root-brain” defended by proponents of plant cognition.