Event overview
020 7717 2906
Autonomy and automaticity
Abstract: The idea of human autonomy has recently come under severe pressure from the cognitive sciences. There are by now many experimental results that seem to show that the conscious self does not control the behaviour of the body. In this talk I will examine this challenge and some solutions to it that have been proposed, especially by philosophers. I will argue that philosophers have succeeded in pointing out many weaknesses in the challenge, but I will try to show as well that some parts of the challenge remain untouched by the most important counter arguments and present indeed a serious challenge for practical philosophy.
Biography: Dr Tillmann Vierkant joined the Department of Philosophy at Edinburgh University to lecture on Philosophy of Mind. His PhD, awarded in 2002, investigated philosophical concepts of self in contemporary cognitive sciences. This research was conducted under the supervision of Professor Wilhelm Vossenkuhl and Professor Wolfgang Prinz at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences. He then undertook a three year post-doctoral research project on the consequences of contemporary cognitive science for practical philosophy as part of the interdisciplinary research project Voluntary Action: Nature and Culture of Willed Actions. This project was lead by Professors Prinz, Goschke, Maasen and Vossenkuhl. Apart from his research Dr Vierkant coordinated the project especially the cooperation with the philosophical board. His current primary research interests include: The relationship between narrative and implicit cognitive processing, theories of volition and freedom of the will informed by contemporary cognitive science and the importance of phenomenal consciousness for practical philosophy.
Full programme of Whitehead Lectures
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Jan 2007 | 4:00pm - 6:00pm |
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