This roundtable will address the intersection between representation theory and enactivism in contemporary cognitive science. We will explore how these two approaches provide complementary and sometimes conflicting perspectives on the nature of cognition, perception, and action. Participants will discuss fundamental questions such as the role of mental representations in mediating perception and action, and how the enactivist approach challenges this traditional view by proposing that cognition arises from the dynamic interaction between the organism and its environment. The discussion will cover topics such as:

The nature of mental representations: their structure, function, and relevance to cognitive processes.
Enactivism as an alternative paradigm: its emphasis on embodiment, direct experience and situated action.
Empirical studies comparing and contrasting representational and enactivist approaches.Philosophical and methodological implications of both perspectives for cognitive science.
The role of consciousness in mediating between perception and action, and how representational and enactivist theories address this phenomenon.

This interdisciplinary dialogue will feature philosophers who will offer a rich variety of viewpoints and contribute to a deeper understanding of how the mind relates to the world.