Course 4 of 4
From Phenomenology to Consciousness Studies
Carry phenomenology into today's science and philosophy of mind. You'll trace how Merleau-Ponty's ideas shaped Hubert Dreyfus's critique of artificial intelligence, the enactive approach of Francisco Varela, Evan Thompson, and Eleanor Rosch, 4E cognition, and neurophenomenology. You'll then survey the hard problem of consciousness, the leading responses and scientific theories, and the argument of Adam Frank, Marcelo Gleiser, and Evan Thompson that science has a "blind spot" about experience. You'll finish ready to take a clear, phenomenologically informed position in current debates.
Who this is for
You'll get the most out of this course if you can explain core phenomenological ideas, such as intentionality, the lived body, and motor intentionality, in your own words. Familiarity with basic philosophy of mind is helpful but not required.
What you will learn
- Explain how phenomenology shaped embodied cognition, enactivism, and neurophenomenology
- Compare major responses to the hard problem and leading scientific theories of consciousness
- Evaluate the blind spot argument and what it means for the science of consciousness
- Formulate a phenomenologically informed position on a current debate
Contents
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Module 1 From Phenomenology to the Embodied Mind
Trace how phenomenology moved into cognitive science: Hubert Dreyfus's critique of symbolic AI, the enactive approach of Varela, Thompson, and Rosch, 4E cognition, and neurophenomenology. You'll learn the core claims of each approach, how they draw on Heidegger and Merleau-Ponty, and where they disagree with one another. These frameworks shape current research on AI, perception, and the science of consciousness, so they're essential for reading that literature critically.
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Module 2 The Hard Problem and Theories of Consciousness
Survey the central debates in consciousness studies: the hard problem and the explanatory gap, the major philosophical responses, and the leading scientific theories of consciousness. You'll compare physicalism, illusionism, panpsychism, and dualism; learn the aims of global workspace, integrated information, higher-order, and predictive processing theories; and evaluate what phenomenology contributes to these debates. You'll finish able to read current consciousness research critically and place new claims within the field.
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Module 3 Experience and Science: The Blind Spot
Examine the argument of Adam Frank, Marcelo Gleiser, and Evan Thompson that science has a "blind spot": it forgets the lived experience that makes it possible. You'll learn the key ideas of The Blind Spot, trace their roots in Husserl's critique of the sciences and Merleau-Ponty's primacy of perception, and weigh the main criticisms of the book. You'll finish by formulating your own phenomenologically informed position on a current question in consciousness studies.