Live Artefacts: Literature in a Cognitive Environment

Literary artefacts are essential to human culture, providing a model of cognition that refuses to separate thought from emotion, bodily responses from ethical reflection, perception from imagination, logic from desire, and demonstrate the essential fluidity and mobility of human cognition. This book argues that literary artefacts are quasi-autonomous living entities with a freely delegated agency that allows them to speak to listeners and readers present and distant, present and future, adapting themselves and their meanings to whatever cognitive environment they encounter. It aims to defend literary study against utilitarian and reductive arguments and to argue that literary artefacts may give us new insights into how the mind (and its indispensable substratum, the brain) functions in the human ecology.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 05 May 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Literary artifacts, encompassing the narratives we tell, the melodies we sing, and the scenes we enact, are integral to human culture, rather than mere byproducts or ancillary elements. They serve as a profound model of the entirety of human cognition. These artifacts refuse to compartmentalize thought from emotion, bodily reactions from ethical contemplation, perception from imagination, logic from desire. Moreover, they vividly showcase the inherent fluidity and adaptability of human cognition, its creative ingenuity. If we are astounded by the art of Chauvet or Lascaux as an early representation of human cognition, then we should remain perpetually amazed by the boundless possibilities of literature as it transcends its boundaries to reimagine the world.

In this book, I argue that literary artifacts possess a quasi-autonomous existence, designed to animate captured environments, embody individuals and other creatures, represent ways of being and living that remain virtual. They possess a freely delegated agency that enables them to communicate with listeners and readers both present and distant, in the past, present, and future, adapting themselves and their meanings to the cognitive environments they encounter. By adopting this approach, we can bridge the gap between a close examination of the unique characteristics of literary artifacts and the insights of cognitive anthropology and archaeology, thereby fostering a holistic understanding of literature.

This book serves two primary purposes. Firstly, it aims to defend the study of literature against utilitarian and reductive arguments of various kinds. It endeavors to showcase the value and significance of literary artifacts in our lives, emphasizing their ability to provide us with new insights into the workings of the mind (and its essential substrate, the brain) within the human ecology.

In conclusion, literary artifacts are not mere creations; they are living entities that embody the essence of human cognition. They provide a model for everything that our minds do, refusing to separate thought from emotion, bodily responses from ethical reflection, perception from imagination, and logic from desire. By studying these artifacts, we gain a deeper understanding of the fluidity and adaptability of human cognition, its creative ingenuity, and its profound impact on our lives. Through interdisciplinary exploration, we can unlock the full potential of literature and gain new insights into the complex workings of the human mind.

Weight: 500g
Dimension: 146 x 223 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192858122