Why Enactivism Entails the Acceptance of Cultural Relativity

Explore a thought-provoking lecture examining the intersection of enactivism and cultural relativism through the lens of mind and meaning. Delve into relativist concepts through the work of Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf, while gaining insights into core enactivist principles including structural coupling, interaction, participatory sense-making, and normativity. Learn how these philosophical approaches share opposition to universalist views yet differ in their ontological foundations - with enactivism rejecting all representations while relativism only dismisses universal ones. Discover how enactivism's focus on efficiency and reconceptualization of knowledge as know-how offers a unique perspective on evaluating different worldviews. Through expert analysis from Kato Van Roey, a philosophy researcher from the Vrije Universiteit Brussels, understand how enactivism necessarily leads to a modified form of cultural relativism that avoids traditional philosophical pitfalls. The presentation draws from Van Roey's master's research and international experiences in Croatia and Morocco, offering both theoretical depth and practical insights into how culture and language shape human cognition.