Abstract:

The rise of the metaverse as the next-generation Internet has sparked discussions on extended cognition in the metaverse. Currently， mechanism theory has emerged as a new approach to explaining extended cognition. From the perspective of mechanism theory， extended cognition must meet three key mechanism explanation standards， namely， the cognitive state issue， the constitutive relevance issue， and the cognitive ownership issue. The HoloFoldit case is regarded as an emerging philosophical interest in the metaverse， and Paul Smart argues that it is a form of extended cognition that meets the three standards of extended cognition. Although the three mechanism standards of this claim have been directly questioned， and it has been pointed out that the HoloFoldit case does not have sufficient differences compared to the frequently discussed low-tech extended cognition cases， Smart believes that HoloFoldit represents a form of holographic extended cognition that is distinct from low-tech extended cognition cases. Overall， Smart’s work lays the foundation for further research on how emerging mixed reality applications can promote new forms of extended cognition.

Key words: metaverse, extended cognition, virtual realism, mechanism theory, holographic extended cognition