Cognitive Science and Genetic Epistemology : A Case Study of Understanding

Some 10 years ago, Leo Apostel presented an analysis of developments taking place in genetic epistemology and artificial intelligence, and re- marked that the two disciplines appeared to be converging, without one dominating or assimilating the other. In his view, significant formal and experimental progress would be required in the post-Piagetian era: ge- netic epistemology would need to take into account developments in artificial intelligence, while remaining an independent discipline at the frontiers of biology, logic, and psychology. The work of David Leiser and Christiane Gillieron, both psychol- ogists with a Genevan training who are concerned by the procedural aspects of intelligence, is an important contribution. Their studies, which open up new theoretical perspectives, are carried out with metic- ulous attention to research methodology. Going beyond merely ad- dressing criticisms about the status of Piagetian operational structures, their work will help fill the gap between genetic epistemology and cog- nitive science.