Some Recent Developments in the Neurobiology of Consciousness
Journal of Biological Research - Bollettino della Società Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale 1970 DOI: 10.4081/jbr.2003.10507 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that biology and neuroscience have traditionally avoided consciousness because of three deterrents: the difficulty of identifying objective behavioral criteria, distrust of introspection as scientific knowledge, and the threat that separating conscious from unconscious processes poses to the unity of the living organism. |
Abstract
Consciousness is an ill-defined philosophical and psychological concept which has been traditionally eschewed by biology and by the neurosciences in particular. The difficulty to identify objective behavioral criteria for consciousness, the diffidence against introspection as a reliable means of scientific knowledge, and the separation between conscious and unconscious processes as a threat to the concept of the unity of the living organism are all factors that have acted as deterrents to a biological approach to consciousness. [...]