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Interstellar Intersubjectvity: The Significance of Shared Cognition for Communication, Empathy, and Altruism in Space

Dunér, David LU orcid (2014) p.141-167
Abstract
What kind of indispensable cognitive ability is needed for intelligence, sociability, communication, and

technology to emerge on a habitable planet? My answer is simple: intersubjectivity. I stress the

significance of intersubjectivity, of shared cognition, for extraterrestrial intelligence and interstellar

communication, and argue that it is in fact crucial and indispensable for any successful interstellar

communication, and in the end also for the concepts that are focus of this volume, empathy and altruism in

space. Based on current studies in cognitive science, I introduce the concept of intersubjectivity as a key to

future search for extraterrestrial intelligence, and then... (More)
What kind of indispensable cognitive ability is needed for intelligence, sociability, communication, and

technology to emerge on a habitable planet? My answer is simple: intersubjectivity. I stress the

significance of intersubjectivity, of shared cognition, for extraterrestrial intelligence and interstellar

communication, and argue that it is in fact crucial and indispensable for any successful interstellar

communication, and in the end also for the concepts that are focus of this volume, empathy and altruism in

space. Based on current studies in cognitive science, I introduce the concept of intersubjectivity as a key to

future search for extraterrestrial intelligence, and then explain—leaning on phylogenetic, ontogenetic, and

cultural-historical studies of cognition—why intersubjectivity is a basic requisite for the emergence of

intelligence, sociability, communication, and technology. In its most general definition, intersubjectivity is

the sharing of experiences about objects and events. I then discuss what “intelligence” is. I define it as

cognitive flexibility, an ability to adjust to changes in the physical and socio-cultural environment. Next, I

discuss sociability and complex social systems, and conclude that we probably can expect that an

extraterrestrial civilization which we can communicate with has a high degree of social complexity, which

entails a high degree of communicative complexity and high degree of cognitive flexibility. Concerning

communication, I discuss intention, attention and communicative complexity. I also stress three sociocognitive

capacities that characterize advanced complex technology: a sustainable, complex social system,

with a regulated system for collaboration, such as ethics; complex communication for collaboration and

abstract conceptualization; and a high degree of distributed cognition. Finally, if we conclude that

intersubjectivity is a fundamental requisite, we then have some options for future interstellar

communication. We should target Earth analogues, monitor them, and finally initiate an interstellar

intersubjective interaction. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Extraterrestrial Altruism: Evolution and Ethics in the Cosmos
editor
Vakoch, Douglas A.
pages
141 - 167
publisher
Springer
ISBN
978-3-642-37749-5
project
Centre for Cognitive Semiotics (RJ)
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
7d40a378-7141-4551-9c5c-9a57dbb87231 (old id 4196139)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 11:47:11
date last changed
2018-11-21 21:07:13
@inbook{7d40a378-7141-4551-9c5c-9a57dbb87231,
  abstract     = {{What kind of indispensable cognitive ability is needed for intelligence, sociability, communication, and<br/><br>
technology to emerge on a habitable planet? My answer is simple: intersubjectivity. I stress the<br/><br>
significance of intersubjectivity, of shared cognition, for extraterrestrial intelligence and interstellar<br/><br>
communication, and argue that it is in fact crucial and indispensable for any successful interstellar<br/><br>
communication, and in the end also for the concepts that are focus of this volume, empathy and altruism in<br/><br>
space. Based on current studies in cognitive science, I introduce the concept of intersubjectivity as a key to<br/><br>
future search for extraterrestrial intelligence, and then explain—leaning on phylogenetic, ontogenetic, and<br/><br>
cultural-historical studies of cognition—why intersubjectivity is a basic requisite for the emergence of<br/><br>
intelligence, sociability, communication, and technology. In its most general definition, intersubjectivity is<br/><br>
the sharing of experiences about objects and events. I then discuss what “intelligence” is. I define it as<br/><br>
cognitive flexibility, an ability to adjust to changes in the physical and socio-cultural environment. Next, I<br/><br>
discuss sociability and complex social systems, and conclude that we probably can expect that an<br/><br>
extraterrestrial civilization which we can communicate with has a high degree of social complexity, which<br/><br>
entails a high degree of communicative complexity and high degree of cognitive flexibility. Concerning<br/><br>
communication, I discuss intention, attention and communicative complexity. I also stress three sociocognitive<br/><br>
capacities that characterize advanced complex technology: a sustainable, complex social system,<br/><br>
with a regulated system for collaboration, such as ethics; complex communication for collaboration and<br/><br>
abstract conceptualization; and a high degree of distributed cognition. Finally, if we conclude that<br/><br>
intersubjectivity is a fundamental requisite, we then have some options for future interstellar<br/><br>
communication. We should target Earth analogues, monitor them, and finally initiate an interstellar<br/><br>
intersubjective interaction.}},
  author       = {{Dunér, David}},
  booktitle    = {{Extraterrestrial Altruism: Evolution and Ethics in the Cosmos}},
  editor       = {{Vakoch, Douglas A.}},
  isbn         = {{978-3-642-37749-5}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{141--167}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  title        = {{Interstellar Intersubjectvity: The Significance of Shared Cognition for Communication, Empathy, and Altruism in Space}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}