Though the existence of a mirror system for action is widely accepted, its mechanism and function are still controversial. It was originally held that the primary function of the mirror mechanism is to enable an individual to understand the actions performed by others, by directly matching the sensory with the motor representations of those actions. Recently, however, Csibra has proposed that mirror activation cannot be construed in terms of a mechanism that directly matches observed and executed motor acts, but must be based on a purely visual reconstruction of action, so that the primary mirror function would not be to understand other's actions, but to emulate them. The aim of this paper is to refute Csibra's arguments, showing that they are mostly based on a partial reading of the functional properties of mirror neurons as well as on a biased construal of both action and action understanding.

Mirroring and understanding action / C. Sinigaglia - In: EPSA epistemology and methodology of science : launch of the european philosophy of science association / [a cura di] M. Suarez, M. Dorato, M. Redei. - Dordrecht : Springer, 2010. - ISBN 9789048132515. - pp. 227-238

Mirroring and understanding action

C. Sinigaglia
Primo
2010

Abstract

Though the existence of a mirror system for action is widely accepted, its mechanism and function are still controversial. It was originally held that the primary function of the mirror mechanism is to enable an individual to understand the actions performed by others, by directly matching the sensory with the motor representations of those actions. Recently, however, Csibra has proposed that mirror activation cannot be construed in terms of a mechanism that directly matches observed and executed motor acts, but must be based on a purely visual reconstruction of action, so that the primary mirror function would not be to understand other's actions, but to emulate them. The aim of this paper is to refute Csibra's arguments, showing that they are mostly based on a partial reading of the functional properties of mirror neurons as well as on a biased construal of both action and action understanding.
Settore M-FIL/02 - Logica e Filosofia della Scienza
2010
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/152230
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