Social Cognition between Theories, Simulations and Narratives: the Narrative Practice Semiotic Hypothesis

In this paper I will introduce the Narrative Practice Semiotic Hypothesis in order to defend narrative theories (Hutto, Gallagher, etc.) as alternatives to the current theories of social cognition (Theory-theory and Simulation Theory), arguing for the relevance of the integration of semiotics in the debates on social cognition. I will begin with an introduction of the semiotic theory of cognition and with a presentation of the current theories of social cognition inside cognitive sciences (Theory-Theory and Simulation Theory). A presentation and a defence of the narrative theories as an alternative to the Theory of Mind follow. In the last part, I will underline some weak points of the Narrative Practice Hypothesis and I will introduce the semiotic theory of narrativity by showing how a promising theory of social cognition such as the Narrativity Practice Hypothesis should be grounded on semiotic conceptions of narrativity. I call this the Narrative Practice Semiotic Hypothesis.