Scienza sradicata. Filosofia e antropologia alla prova dell’ampliamento della cognizione alle piante

In this paper we analyze controversy within the field of plant cognition from both a philosophical and an anthropological perspective. We reconstruct the debate in botanical science and its interpretations offered in the analytic philosophy of mind. We focus on Gagliano’s work on plant cognition, as she calls for an in-depth reconsideration of how culture, science, and society are intertwined, and endorses an integration between Western experimental paradigms with insights coming from indigenous knowledge. Anthropological reflection, on the other hand, has long warned scientists and philosophers not to prioritize ontologies and conceptual abstractions over situated practices and their politics, as this unnecessarily complexifies their relationship and hinders our understanding potential. In this respect, philosophical pragmatism proves a more viable option than analytic approaches