Clark’s **Extended Mind Thesis**, developed with David Chalmers, argues that the mind is not confined to the brain or even the biological body but can extend into the external world when certain tools or artifacts function as genuine cognitive components. According to this view, objects like notebooks, smartphones, or calculators can become part of our cognitive system when they are reliably used to store, process, or retrieve information in ways that mirror internal mental processes. The key idea is **parity**: if an external resource performs the same function as an internal mental operation, and we depend on it in an integrated, accessible, and automatic way, then it should count as part of the mind. This challenges traditional boundaries of cognition, suggesting that thinking is a distributed process encompassing brain, body, and environment.
| Chalk