The ubiquity of the fallacy of composition in cognitive enhancement and in education

Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics 44 (1):41-56 (2022)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

Research into cognitive enhancement is highly controversial, and arguments for and against it have failed to identify the logical fallacy underlying this debate: the fallacy of composition. The fallacy of composition is a lesser-known fallacy of ambiguity, but it has been explored and applied extensively to other fields, including economics. The fallacy of composition, which occurs when the characteristics of the parts of the whole are incorrectly extended to apply to the whole itself, and the conclusion is false, should be addressed in the debate on cognitive enhancement and within education. Within cognitive enhancement, the premise that individual distinct cognitive processes can be enhanced by cognitive enhancers leads to the conclusion that they must enhance cognition overall, and this idea is pervasive in the literature. If the goal of cognitive enhancement is to enhance cognition or learning, and not merely individual cognitive processes, then this is a clear example of the fallacy of composition. The ambiguity of “cognitive,” “cognition,” and “enhancement” only perpetuates this fallacy and creates more confusion surrounding the purposes and goals of enhancement. Identifying this fallacy does not threaten the existing body of research; however, it provides a novel framework to explore new avenues for research, education, and enhancement, particularly through education reform initiatives. Education enhances and facilitates learning, and improvements to education could be considered cognitive enhancements. Furthermore, the same fallacy is ubiquitous in education; educators commit it by “teaching to the test” and prioritizing memorization over generalizable skills such as critical thinking and problem solving. We will explore these new avenues for research and highlight principles of learning success from other disciplines to create a clearer understanding of the means and ends of cognitive enhancement. Recognizing the pervasiveness of composition fallacy in cognitive enhancement and education will lead to greater clarity of normative positions and insights into student learning that steer away from fallacious reasoning.

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,616

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

The ethics of cognitive enhancement: Flynn effect and the natural talents fallacy.Marcelo de Araujo - 2017 - Ethic@: An International Journal for Moral Philosophy 16 (1):01–14.
Integration of cognitive and moral enhancement.Vojin Rakic - 2012 - Filozofija I Društvo 23 (2):91-103.
Cognitive Enhancement: Methods, Ethics, Regulatory Challenges. [REVIEW]Nick Bostrom - 2009 - Science and Engineering Ethics 15 (3):311-341.
The perils of moral enhancement.Aleksandar Dobrijevic - 2012 - Filozofija I Društvo 23 (2):104-110.
Cognitive extension, enhancement, and the phenomenology of thinking.Philip J. Walsh - 2017 - Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences 16 (1):33-51.
Moral enhancement and freedom.John Harris - 2010 - Bioethics 25 (2):102-111.
Cognitive enhancement. Effort of definition, and methods.Artur Gunia - 2015 - Avant: Trends in Interdisciplinary Studies 6 (2-3):35-56.

Analytics

Added to PP
2022-10-23

Downloads
23 (#584,666)

6 months
6 (#203,358)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Veljko Dubljevic
North Carolina State University

Citations of this work

No citations found.

Add more citations