Conceptual Spaces: Elaborations and Applications

This edited book focuses on concepts and their applications using the theory of conceptual spaces, one of today’s most central tracks of cognitive science discourse. It features 15 papers based on topics presented at the Conceptual Spaces @ Work 2016 conference.

The contributors interweave both theory and applications in their papers. Among the first mentioned are studies on metatheories, logical and systemic implications of the theory, as well as relations between concepts and language. Examples of the latter include explanatory models of paradigm shifts and evolution in science as well as dilemmas and issues of health, ethics, and education.

1. Editors’ introduction
Mauri Kaipainen, Frank Zenker, Antti Hautamäki, Peter Gärdenfors

 Part I. Concepts, perception and knowledge

2. Nina Laura Poth: Conceptual Spaces, Generalisation Probabilities and Perceptual Categorisation

3. Lucas Bechberger and Kai-Uwe Kuehnberger: Formalized Conceptual Spaces with a Geometric Representation of Correlations

5. Peter Gärdenfors; Convexity is a testable prediction in the theory of conceptual spaces: Reply to Hernández-Conde

Part II. Evolving concepts

6. Joel Parthemore: On the Essentially Dynamic Nature of Concepts: Constant if Incremental Motion in Conceptual Spaces

7. Mauri Kaipainen and Antti Hautamäki: Seeking for the Grasp. An Iterative Subdivision Model of Conceptualization

Part III. Concepts and disciplines

8. Sylvia Wenmackers: Lost in Space and Time: A Quest for Conceptual Spaces in Physics

10. Aleksander Gemel and Paula Quinon: Magnitude and Number Sensitivity of the Approximate Number System in Conceptual Spaces

11. José Hernandez-Conde: Reply to Gärdenfors

Mauri Kaipainen is professor of Media Technology at Södertörn University with a PhD from the University of Helsinki has longstanding focus and a number of publications on the systems, dynamics, interactions and perspective-dependence of concepts. The application range of his theoretical work ranges from cognitive science to society to media art. He was the main organizer of Conceptual Spaces @ Work 2016.

Frank Zenker is a researcher in philosophy at Lund University, Sweden, funded by the Swedish Research Council. Having obtained his doctorate in philosophy of science at the University of Hamburg, Germany, he has worked with Peter Gärdenfors on applying conceptual spaces to theory-dynamical processes in the empirical sciences. He is the editor of “Bayesian Argumentation” (Synthese Library Vol 362, 2013) and Zenker, F.; Gärdenfors, P. (2015). Applications of Conceptual Spaces. Springer. Synthese library. Studies in Epistemology, Logic, Methodology, and Philosophy of Science, Vol. 359.

Peter Gärdenfors is a distinguished professor of cognitive science at Lund University, Sweden. He is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities and recipient of the Gad Rausing Prize. Internationally, he is one of Sweden's most notable philosophers. In 2009, he was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. He is best known of articulating and coining the theory of Conceptual Spaces.