CFP: Call for Papers: Cognition, Ethics and Artificial Intelligence: philosophy, psychology and neuroscience in dialogue

Rivista internazionale di Filosofia e Psicologia - ISSN: 2039-4667 (print) - E-ISSN: 2239-2629 (online)

Rivista internazionale di Filosofia e Psicologia is a peer reviewed, no-fees full open access journal that aims to promote and to develop critical discussions and thorough reflections on the links connecting philosophical and psychological research.

Original articles, review articles, discussions and proposals for book reviews concerning topics, books and events related to the journal focus can be submitted in Italian and English.

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Call for Papers: Cognition, Ethics and Artificial Intelligence: philosophy, psychology and neuroscience in dialogue

 The information technology revolution and the development of increasingly complex digital devices has not only changed how we access information, but also modified, in a radical and pervasive manner, the way in which we acquire our knowledge as well as our personal relationships and social environment. Researchers cannot afford to overlook the philosophical implications of this revolution. First, we need to address  cognitive issues concerning changes in the ways we acquire, exchange and use knowledge in the information age, as well as the consequences of these changes for the nature and structure of knowledge. Secondly, philosophers should address social and ethical issues surrounding the positive and negative consequences these changes have for all aspects of our lives.

RiFP - Rivista internazionale di Filosofia e Psicologia and SINe - Società italiana di Neuroetica e Filosofia delle Neuroscienze aim to promote discussion on these topics and encourage all interested scholars to submit original papers devoted primarily, if not exclusively, to the following aspects of the relationship between the concepts of consciousness and awareness.

Extended mind: information devices not only provide external support for building knowledge, but appear to be integral to our ways of knowing, leading to a coupled system. Is there evidence for the so-called extended mind thesis? What does it mean to propose a coupled system between mind and technological devices? What are the epistemological consequences of this view?

The computer as a model for simulating human cognition: computers have not only become tools that provide new ways of communicating and exchanging information, but are also more and more frequently used as a model for human knowledge. And yet, to what extent can we consider artificial intelligence to be an adequate model for simulating human knowledge systems? What are the analogies and differences between the ways in which information is processed by human beings and by computers? Can we say that one or the other works better in specific contexts? Are there operational niches in which human cognition with its particular characteristics will continue to be irreplaceable by artificial intelligence?

Ethics and artificial intelligence: should we exercise control over the evolution of artificial intelligence? If so, what kind of control? Why should machines that have higher computing capacity than human minds be controlled by human beings? Or should we recognize that machines that exhibit goal-oriented behaviors and are resilient to environmental changes enjoy some kinds of rights?

Ethics and technology: technological developments raise ethical issues with important practical consequences. Consider autonomous robots and self-driving cars, which require rules of conduct that orient their behavior in ethically sensitive contexts. What should these rules of conduct look like? Or consider prosthetic aids. Even though such aids are primarily intended to be therapeutic devices, they could lead to bodily enhancements and thus to new opportunities as well as inequalities. What changes can technological developments of this kind bring about in society? What ethical horizons open up in an era where cyborgs are no longer science fiction but concrete entities, with a capacity for freedom of choice and self-construction in a way that challenges our usual notion of personal identity?

Computer and Information Ethics: digital technologies give rise to new ways to communicate, exchange and transmit information as well as to new forms of relationships that have never been experienced before. These changes have important consequences for our personal and social life that raise ethical concerns. Decreasing face-to-face communication alongside increasing communication via computers and social media as well as phenomena such as cyberbullying are just some examples of how our social relationships are changing and the new challenges that ethics must face in the era of information technology. How should we characterize and confront these changes?

Manuscript preparation and submission

Manuscripts should not exceed 9,000 words (including footnotes) and must be submitted through the online submission procedure available on the journal internet site by October 15th, 2019.

Manuscripts written in Italian or English will be considered for publication. An English abstract of max. 150 words and 5 English key-words must be provided. Please, insert the code “Moral2019” in the box “Communications to the Editor” in the online submission form (Step 1). Two separate documents should be submitted. The first document must be anonymous and contain only the manuscript and abstract without any identifying information about the author(s). A second document (called the “supplementary file”) must be submitted separately (Step 3) and include pictures, tabs, title, abstract, the whole manuscript as well as the author(s)’ names, affiliations, e-mails, and postal addresses.

After a preliminary assessment by the Editorial Board, submissions undergo a double-blind peer review process. For instructions on how to prepare the manuscript, click on the link “How to ensure a blind review” available on the internet site. The decision will be communicated to the authors within 6 weeks after submission. After manuscript acceptance, an authors’ guideline will be provided for copyediting the final version of the manuscript.

For further information, please email Sandro Nannini ([email protected]) or Andrea Lavazza ([email protected])