Agentic Behavior, Determinism, and Technological Artifacts
Abstract
Gene-centered models hold that genes dictate various aspects of agents, such as intelligence and behavior, thereby minimizing the role of the environment and upbringing in shaping individual conduct. However, 4E theories, especially the extended mind thesis, challenge this reductionist perspective by emphasizing that the environment encompasses a set of human activities, including beliefs, norms, and morals. Against this backdrop, this paper aims to demonstrate that, even through the lens of the extended mind thesis, there are instances in which human behavior remains determined by interactions with technological artifacts. Specifically, it is argued that artifactual determinism may occur in situations where agents are restricted to particular behaviors, assuming a passive role, while technological artifacts take on a much more active and autonomous role. To develop this argument, the discussion begins by examining the concept of agency and how genetic determinism offers an explanatory framework for human behavior. Following this, it analyzes active externalism, the extended mind thesis, and the notion of transparency as an alternative paradigm to genetic determinism. Finally, the article contends that, in certain scenarios of artifactual determinism, ambiguous forms of human behavior may arise due to the affordances of technological artifacts and other factors.
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