On the nature of disciplinary intuitions

Abstract

The theme of the preceding chapter, namely, the embodied nature of cognitive processes, is continued. Intuition is referred to as innateness in the epigenetics-inspired sense that innate beliefs/understandings/instincts are crucially dependent on interactions between the developing individual and its environment. As for disciplinarity, epistemology is explored in order to establish the nature of knowledge and knowledge boundaries. Through this process of coming to know our computational machinery, the loop is closed with the concept of innate modular computational elements. These modules have their form in response to the regularity of reality. If the external environment constitutes resources for cognition, and there exist innate cognitive modules primed to develop intuitive understandings of the way the world behaves, it is suggested that educators seek to design learning activities and environments in order to develop and surface these otherwise tacit intuitions. Thusly informed by recent advances in the cognitive sciences, Disciplinary Intuitions are defined as innate computational modules of the mind which are in the process of being exercised and developed as the learner interacts with his or her external environment.