On the Historical Dynamics of Cognitive Science: a View from the Periphery

From the very beginning of ai, a constant fluctuation among different focal points—the methodological, the ontological, and the epistemological—has characterized its historical development. Over time, the core interests of many researchers shifted towards the edge; what was once in the spotlight, slipped into a dark zone; the center became periphery. Conversely, returns to the center from the the periphery or even from the outer regions became the norm. Indeed, Artificial Intelligence has displayed a peculiarly non-straightforward history. Is there a reason, we may ask, behind these rapid and frequent shifts? The authors believe that even a cursory examination of the temporal evolutions of the “science of the mind” may teach us some lessons about the forces at work behind its historical vicissitudes, and provide indications about the dynamics of the discipline that we may find useful for present and future reference. Cognitive science appears to be endowed with peculiar epistemological features that not only caused those oscillations, but also led to an unusual relationship between the current and the previous status of scientific research.