Within the Department of Philosophy, the overarching theme of research of our Centre is the possibility and the limits of a naturalistic explanation of mental activities and properties. How is it possible to reconcile the subjective experience of oneself as the source or centre of one''s acting, perceiving and intending with the scientific image of the human being as a complex biological organism, functioning in a physical world? What is the relation between our spontaneous, unreflected self-image and the scientific account of man and world?
The theme is approached from three complementary philosophical perspectives: the philosophy of cognitive science, analytical philosophy of mind and contemporary phenomenology. The research often has an interdisciplinary orientation, and sometimes leads to collaborations with cognitive scientists, psychologists, neuroscientists and linguists.
Within this general framework, research concerns, with an emphasis on the aspect of embodiment, phenomenal consciousness, perception, commonalities and differences between the sensory modalities, pain, expression and intersubjectivity, pictural representation and the relation between philosophy and neurobiology.
For more detailed information about research projects, please visit the Research page and the Centre's members' individual webpages.