tailieunhanh - Brain and self – a neurophilosophical account

The article focuses on discussing different concepts of self as based on the philosophical accounts. These are then complemented by neuroscientific data on self and self-reference. | Northoff Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health 2013 7 28 http content 7 1 28 CHILD ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY MENTAL HEALTH COMMENTARY Open Access Brain and self - a neurophilosophical account Georg Northoff Abstract We have experience and are conscious of the world. Who though is conscious This is the subject or self of experience. While in the past the concept of self has been matter of philosophical discussion psychoanalysis shifted it into the domain of psychology where it surfaced as ego. More recently brain imaging allows to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying our subjective experience of a self. The article focuses on discussing different concepts of self as based on the philosophical accounts. These are then complemented by neuroscientific data on self and self-reference. Finally both philosophical and neuroscientific accounts are directly compared with each other while at the same time their relevance for psychoanalysis of self and ego are pointed out. Introduction concept of self You read these lines. You find them boring and your experience is thus signified by boredom. Who experiences this boredom You. You are the subject of the experience of boredom. Without you as subject of this experience you could not experience anything at all not even boredom. This subject of experience has been described as the self . It is your self that makes it possible for you to experience things. The self is a necessary condition for the possible constitution of experience and thus also consciousness. It is clear therefore that there is much at stake when it comes to the self. We thus need to discuss how to characterize and define the concept of self. Why is the self so important Because we usually assume that somebody must have consciousness. Somebody speaks a language. And somebody acquires a second language when coming for instance to a new country. Without somebody we may remain unable to do all these things. Who though is this somebody .