#gerhardroth

[philosophiesde]

The Mystery of Consciousness🧠: Why the Philosophical “Zombie Assumption”🧟‍♂️Is Misleading ❌ Could there be beings that behave exactly like humans on the outside but possess absolutely no inner experience, no true consciousness? In the philosophy of mind, David Chalmers’ concept of the “philosophical zombie” is a famous thought experiment. But does it hold up to neuroscientific and logical scrutiny? In our Zoomposium, we take a critical look at this myth. To claim that a biological “zombie” would behave identically to a conscious human being lacks any logical or empirical basis—it is about as contradictory as a square circle. Why the zombie assumption fails from a scientific perspective: • Consciousness has a clear function: Countless psychological experiments show that a conscious human behaves fundamentally differently from a system that acts purely unconsciously. Consciousness is not a useless byproduct (epiphenomenon). • The evolutionary spotlight: Our brain selectively activates consciousness as a tool. It becomes active whenever automated, unconscious processes reach their limits—that is, in completely new, complex, or life-threatening situations.

• The conscious self as interpreter: This ties in with our in-depth interview with the renowned neurobiologist and philosopher Prof. Dr. Dr. Gerhard Roth. His famous metaphor illustrates this interplay: Our conscious self is like a “government spokesperson” who interprets and legitimizes complex processes that have been prepared unconsciously. Yet it is precisely this conscious attribution that significantly alters how we act in and with the world. The notion that one could simply subtract phenomenal consciousness and human behavior would remain exactly the same ignores the functional necessity of our mind. What do you think? Is consciousness the indispensable guide of our flexible actions, or do we underestimate how much a purely unconscious “machine” could theoretically simulate? I look forward to your perspectives in the comments! 👇 📎 Information: https://philosophies.de/index.php/2021/12/05/wie-wirklich-ist-bewusstsein/ 📺 Interview: https://youtu.be/0LG4gU_jfik

[philosophiesde]

🌍 Does reality exist only in the brain🧠 - Or are we already living in the reality of deepfakes👥? If everything we see, hear, and perceive is first constructed in the brain—how certain can we really be about “reality”? In the Zoomposium on the “Constitution of Consciousness,” Gerhard Roth describes a fascinating epistemological problem: The brain that we regard as an object cannot logically be identical to the brain that gives rise to our consciousness. For how could a subset generate the entirety of reality? This raises one of the oldest and at the same time most modern questions in philosophy and neuroscience: 👉 Is there a reality independent of consciousness? 👉 Or do we live in a subjective construction of our mind? Especially in the digital age, this question takes on a new social dimension. For when algorithms, filter bubbles, and echo chambers further personalize our perception, a dual construction of reality emerges: one neural—and one digital. Our attention is increasingly focused on curated information spaces where confirmation is more common than contradiction. Thus, neurophilosophy suddenly intersects with media theory: The brain does not merely generate reality—digital platforms help shape it as well. Amid consciousness research, the “hard problem,” brain-computer interfaces, and digital tribalism, one of the central questions of our time emerges: How much of reality do we actually still experience together? 📎 Information: https://philosophies.de/index.php/2021/12/05/wie-wirklich-ist-bewusstsein/ 📺 Interview: https://youtu.be/0LG4gU_jfik

[philosophiesde]

🧠 Brain research – contradictions and insights⚡💡 How objective is brain research really? Many textbooks devote hundreds of pages to describing in detail how perception, emotions, and cognitive processes occur in the brain – seemingly in a sober, objective, and scientifically sound manner. But as soon as consciousness is mentioned, the narrative suddenly changes: everything we experience is a construct of the brain. This gives rise to an intriguing contradiction: if even our scientific findings are themselves only constructs of the brain, what status do the objective statements in the first chapters have? Do we sufficiently reflect on the fact that our theories are also products of the very system they seek to explain? In the Zoomposium with Gerhard Roth, we discuss this epistemological tension between neuroscience and philosophy: Is there an independent reality outside the brain? Is there a “hard problem” of consciousness? Can the self be localized—or is it merely an interpreting “government spokesperson,” as Roth once put it? The conversation moves at the interface between neurobiology and philosophy of mind and shows that neither pure philosophy without a scientific foundation nor pure neuroscience without philosophical reflection is sufficient to adequately understand the phenomenon of consciousness. A contribution on the limits of objectivity—and on the necessity of knowledge. 📎 Information: https://philosophies.de/index.php/2021/12/05/wie-wirklich-ist-bewusstsein/ 📺 Interview: https://youtu.be/0LG4gU_jfik

[philosophiesde]

✨ Consciousness – the government spokesperson 📢 of our brain 🧠 What if our conscious self is not the decision-maker at all, but only the one who explains decisions after the fact? Neuroscientist Prof. Dr. Dr. Gerhard Roth describes consciousness as a kind of government spokesperson: it interprets and legitimizes actions whose actual reasons lie in unconscious neural processes – processes to which we have no direct access. Most of the processes in the brain that are relevant to our behavior and personality take place outside of our consciousness. Only when information becomes particularly important, complex, or detailed is consciousness “switched on”—not as a controller, but as a narrator. This perspective fundamentally challenges our self-image: 👉 How free is our will really? 👉 How reliable is our sense of self? 👉 And what does this mean for responsibility, identity, and a new view of humanity? A fascinating insight into the neuroscientific and philosophical debate on the constitution of consciousness. 📎 Information: https://philosophies.de/index.php/2021/12/05/wie-wirklich-ist-bewusstsein/ 📺 Interview: https://youtu.be/0LG4gU_jfik

[philosophiesde]

A new view of humanity – is the dream of brain research coming true? 🧠✨ Do we need a new view of humanity? The Zoomposium with Gerhard Roth makes it clear that brain research has changed our self-image – but a new view of humanity cannot be created through neurobiology alone. The old dualism of body and mind still shapes our culture. At the same time, it is becoming apparent that a purely scientific view of humanity is difficult to communicate to society. Roth therefore advocates an interdisciplinary understanding of humanity: neurobiology needs psychology, philosophy, sociology, and physics. The discussion focuses on consciousness, the self, gaps in our understanding, brain-computer interfaces, and the big question of whether the hopes of brain research will actually be fulfilled. A plea for enlightenment, dialogue—and a view of humanity that does justice to the complexity of human beings. 📺 Interview: https://youtu.be/0LG4gU_jfik 📎 Information: https://philosophies.de/index.php/2021/12/05/wie-wirklich-ist-bewusstsein/

[philosophiesde]

🌍 Does the world only exist in your head 🧠 ? What if everything you see, feel, and think only exists in your brain? Neurophilosopher Gerhard Roth puts reality to the test: “The brain I am researching only exists in my consciousness—which in turn only exists in my brain.” A thought experiment that challenges both the mind and the cosmos. Is the world out there really real—or just a neural simulation of our consciousness? In another Zoomposium, we talk about consciousness, the brain, and the limits of knowledge. 📺 Interview: https://youtu.be/0LG4gU_jfik 📎 Information: https://philosophies.de/index.php/2021/12/05/wie-wirklich-ist-bewusstsein/

[philosophiesde]

🧠 Reading minds – soon to be reality? 🩻 Neuroscientist John-Dylan Haynes uses AI to decode patterns in the brain – it can learn to distinguish whether someone is thinking about their grandmother or grandfather, for example! But, as Gerhard Roth emphasizes in our Zoomposium: This is only possible under laboratory conditions at present. Because every brain creates its own world of consciousness. Science fiction? Maybe not for much longer ...? 🤔 📽 Interview: https://youtu.be/0LG4gU_jfik 📎 Information: https://philosophies.de/index.php/2021/12/05/wie-wirklich-ist-bewusstsein/

[philosophiesde]

💡 The role of philosophy in science 🔬 How can a philosopher talk about consciousness without being a neuroscientist—or a neuroscientist conduct research without philosophical reflection? Werner Heisenberg already knew that science needs self-reflection. In the Zoomposium with the recently deceased Gerhard Roth, we talk about the relationship between neuroscience and philosophy – and about the limits of what can be explained. 📽 Interview: https://youtu.be/0LG4gU_jfik 📎 Information: https://philosophies.de/index.php/2021/12/05/ wie-wirklich-ist-bewusstsein/