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School of Liberal Arts

Departments & Programs

Philosophy

Monica Cowart

Chairperson and Associate Professor
Department of Philosophy

Ph.D. Philosophy, University of Wisconsin-Madison
M.A. Counseling Psychology, Lesley University

Monica Cowart specializes in philosophy of psychology, and philosophy of cognitive science. Her current research includes investigating the role of metaphor in mindfulness-based clinical treatments. In addition to the degrees listed above, Dr. Cowart also holds a Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies from University of Georgia, MA in Philosophy from University of Wisconsin-Madison, and BA in Philosophy with Research Honors from Illinois Wesleyan University

Areas of Specialization:
 Philosophy of Cognitive Science; Philosophy of Psychology; Applied Ethics

Recent Presentations Include:

  • Cowart, M. “Isolating and Developing Threshold Concepts in Philosophy” at Threshold Concepts Conference, Queen’s University— June 2008
  • Cowart, M. “Metaphors & Mindfulness: A New Group Format to Solve the Comprehension Problem” at MBSR Annual Conference, University of Massachusetts Medical School—April 2008
  • Cowart, M. “Mindfulness, Metaphor & Psychotherapy: A New Group Format” at International Counseling Psychology Association, Chicago—March 2008
  • Cowart, M. “Using Metaphors in Psychotherapy to Facilitate Cognitive Change” CAB Treatment Facility Colloquia—February 2007
  • Cowart, M. “Formulating A Scaffolding Taxonomy to Facilitate Cognitive Change: A Philosophical Analysis” at the Hawaii International Conference on Arts & Humanities—January 2006
  • Cowart, M. “The Role of Cognitive Scaffolding in Embodied Explanations of Thought” at the New Directions in the Humanities Conference, Monash University, Tuscany, Italy—July 2004
  • Cowart, M. and Mascolo, M. “The Origins of Variability in Evolutionary Models of Cognitive Transition: Varieties of Scaffolding in Development” at the 34th meeting of the Jean Piaget Society, Toronto—June 2004
  • Cowart, M. and Mascolo, M. “Open Constraints: Varieties of Scaffolding in the Emergence of Higher Order Action” at the 11th Herbstakademie, Dynamical Systems In Cognitive Science, Monte Verita, Switzerland—October 2003.
  • Cowart, M. “Extending the Epistemological Boundaries of the Classroom: Using Dewey’s Notion of “Experimentation” to Overcome Ethical Issues in Service Learning” at the 30th annual conference of the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy, University of Colorado, Denver—- March 2003
  • Cowart, M. “The Role of Cognitive Scaffolding in Embodied Explanations of Thinking” at the 32nd annual meeting of the Jean Piaget Society, The Embodied Mind and Consciousness: Developmental Perspectives, Philadelphia, PA—June 2002
  • Cowart, M. “Increasing Explanatory Power in Embodied Cognition: A Rejection of the Compatibalist Approach” at the 94th annual Southern Society for Philosophy and Psychology Conference, Nashville, TN—March 2002
  • Cowart, M. “The Promise of Embodied Cognition” at the 31st annual meeting of the Jean Piaget Society, Using systemic accounts to close the gap between biology and psychology, Berkeley, CA—May 2001.
  • Cowart, M. “An Affordance Field for Guiding Action and Movement” at 9th Herbstakademie, Embodied Cognition: Self Organization of Cognition and Applications to Psychology, Monte Verita, Switzerland—October 2000.

 
Publications Include:

  • Cowart, M. (2005). An Analysis of Scaffolding and Its Role in Cognitive Development. The International Journal of the Humanities, Vol. 2, Number 3: 2037-2044. Accepted for publication: 2004
  • Cowart, M. (2004). Understanding Acts of Consent: Using Speech Act Theory to Help Solve Moral Dilemmas and Legal Disputes. Law and Philosophy, Vol. 23, Issue 5, September: 495-527. Accepted for publication: 2003
  • Cowart, M. (2004). Embodied Cognition. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
    Read the Article: Embodied Cognition
  • Glenberg, A., Cowart, M. and Kachnik, M. (2001). An Affordance Field for Guiding Movement and Cognition. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 24 (1): 43-44.
  • Cowart, M. “Moral Bivalence: What Does It Mean to Deceive Yourself?” reprinted (in Spanish) in Este Pais, numero 88, Julio 1998.
  • Cowart, M. “Self Awareness vs. Self Knowledge: Can Any Position Make First Person Authority Compatible with Externalism?” in Contemporary Philosophy, Vol. XIX, No. 6, November/December 1997.

Monica Cowart, Ph.D.
Chairperson and Associate Professor, (978) 837-5265
monica.cowart@merrimack.edu