The Philosophical Framework for Understanding Neuroscientific Research
Interdisciplinary Description of Complex Systems October 31, 2013 DOI: 10.7906/indecs.11.4.1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Descartes Neurophilosophy Reduction Embodied cognition |
| Key points | Argues that philosophical reflection is needed to examine the theoretical and philosophical assumptions underlying different interpretations of neuroscientific research, and that neuroscience has become the central discipline in cognitive science. |
Abstract
New tools and methods for investigating the brain have given neuroscientists a chance to examine the working brain and placed neuroscience as the central discipline in cognitive science. My main goal in this article is to examine theoretical and philosophical assumptions on which different understandings and interpretations of neuroscientific research are based and to show why philosophical reflection on neuroscience is needed. I first discuss different roles philosophy potentially plays in cognitive science. After a short presentation of Descartes’ position concerning the mind body problem and cognitive science approaches to answer his challenge, I examine different theoretical frameworks for neuroscientific research.