Philosophical and Mathematical Foundations of a Science of Mind

The project aims at developing a coherent framework in which philosophical considerations as well as scientific and phenomenological insights could be addressed. This shall eventually lead to a better understanding of mental phenomena as natural processes, respecting and illuminating the mutual dependency of mind and matter. The project is built on the following two considerations:

First Consideration: Objective Nature

The science of chemistry might be seen as embodying a concept of nature that can best be illustrated by appeal to the notions, theories and practices of contemporary natural science. The language, thoughts and actions of chemists, as described by a external pagephilosophy of chemistry, challenge traditional accounts of science based on simplifying assumptions like reductionism and the independence of theory from practice.
In particular, it shall be considered to which extend complex systems show emergent properties that are based on but not reducible to the isolated behavior of their component parts.

Keywords: Atoms, elements, reductionism, emergence, self-organization

Second Consideration: Natural Subjects

Pondering on the claim that mind could be understood as natural phenomenon that is open to scientific inquiry, the most troubling aspect of mind seems to be consciousness. Its description differs greatly from the representations of material states we normaly use in science. Certain well-known metaphysical stances are then advanced to justify this treatment. A particularly attractive alternative, Pexternal pageanpsychism, postulates to bridge the gap between mind and matter and is thus appealing to many who look for a non-reductionist science of consciousness. Often panpsychists propose the existence ofan experiencing substance in which all physical interactions are grounded. Alternatively, there exist hypotheses that promise to join reductionist models of explanation from science with panpsychist ideas about consciousness, intended to give rise to a modern form of `scientific panpsychism‘. Both accounts of Panpsychism are confronted with some troubles, though.

Instead of trying to give a description of a suitable psycho-physical substance or find a mechanism that generates mind from matter, the structural constraints on possible answers to the mind-body problem shall be reassessed.

Keywords: Consciousness, cognition, Phenomenology, Panpsychism, mereology.

Participants:
Dr. Robert Prentner
Prof. Dr. Michael Hampe

Relevant Publications:

Robert Prentner. Erweiterter Geist – Erweitertes Bewusstsein? erscheint in: Ist der Geist im Kopf? Die These des erweiterten Geistes in Philosophie und Wissenschaft, Michel, J. G. et al. (Hg.), mentis.
Robert Prentner. „Thinking Beyond Patterns.“ Focusing Journal 33: 32 – 37, 2014.
Robert Prentner. A Framework for Critical Materialists. Mind & Matter, 12(1): 93 – 118,
2014.

This project is supported by the ETH Grant.