Chapter ID: CBB000410020

Brain, mind, and limitations of a scientific theory of human consciousness (2003)

unapi

Modern brain research related to consciousness has resulted in many interesting insights, for example into the neurobiological basis of attention and of language. In biological terms, human consciousness appears as a system's feature of our brain, with neural processes strictly following the laws of physics. This does not necessarily imply, however, that there can be a general and comprehensive scientific theory of consciousness. Predictions of the extent to which such a theory may become possible vary widely in the scientific community. There are reasons - not only practical but also epistemological - why the brain-mind relation may not be fully decodable by finite procedures. In particular, analogies with mathematical theorems of undecidability suggest that self-referential features of consciousness, such as multiple self-representations like those involved in strategic thought, may not be fully resolvable by brain analysis. Assuming such limitations exist, this implies that objective analysis cannot exhaust subjective experience in principle. A person's consciousness and will are accessible to external observation only within limits. In some respects, we do not even learn to know ourselves except by our actions. It thus appears that a scientific look at consciousness and the human mind, combining universal physicalism with epistemological scepticism, is not inconsistent with certain concepts of subjectivity that are current in the humanities, despite all the differences in the style and terminology of discourse. (from the author)

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Book Geyer, Paul; Schmitz-Emans, Monika (2003) Proteus im Spiegel: Kritische Theorie des Subjekts im 20. Jahrhundert. unapi

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Authors & Contributors
Polger, Thomas W.
Leblanc, Richard
Young, Allan
Yoshimi, Jeffrey Kazuo
Virues-Ortega, Javier
Steinberg, David A.
Concepts
Philosophy of mind
Consciousness
Neurosciences
Philosophy of science
Philosophy
Psychology
Time Periods
21st century
20th century, late
20th century
18th century
17th century
20th century, early
Places
Vienna (Austria)
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