Enactivism is a philosophical approach to the study of cognition that emphasizes the active role of the organism in the construction of its own experience. It is based on the idea that cognition arises through the dynamic interaction between an organism and its environment, and that the organism is not merely a passive recipient of sensory input but rather an active agent that constructs its own experience through its ongoing interactions with the world. Enactivism thus emphasizes the importance of embodiment and the role of sensorimotor activity in the development of cognitive processes.

Radical enactivism is a specific type of enactivism that takes a more extreme view, arguing that cognition and consciousness are not simply the result of the activity of the brain, but rather emerge from the dynamic interactions between an organism and its environment. Radical enactivism thus challenges the traditional view of the brain as the source of all mental activity and suggests that cognition and consciousness should be understood in terms of the organism's ongoing interactions with the world. Radical enactivists often argue that traditional approaches to the study of cognition, which focus on the brain and its internal processes, are inadequate for understanding the true nature of cognition and consciousness.