Vol 27, No 4 (2023): PHILOSOPHY OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND NEUROSCIENCE

PHILOSOPHY OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND NEUROSCIENCE

Philosophy and Neurosciences: Perspectives for Interaction

Chaly V.A.

Abstract

The study analyzes modern reductivist and antireductivist approaches to understanding the interaction between philosophy and neuroscience. It analyzes the content and grounds for using the concepts of neuroscience and neurosciences, philosophy of neuroscience, and neurophilosophy. The milestones in the development of neuroreductivism, from Patricia Churchland’s arguments in support of intertheoretic reduction through Francis Crick’s eliminativism to John Bickle’s ruthless reductionism, are described. The ontological, methodological, and epistemic grounds for the reduction to neurosciences of other ways of representing mind and body are analyzed. Drawing on the post-Wittgensteinian paradigm of the philosophy of neuroscience of Max Bennett, Peter Hacker, and Andrew Reynolds, the semantic problems that arise in the neurosciences when epistemic reduction is attempted are described and derive from the inability to eliminate the basic metaphorical level of meaning-making and transmission rooted in everyday language and its figures, among which metaphors are fundamental. The descriptivist approach to the language of neurosciences is contrasted with neurorevisionism, an attempt to “correct” established ways of conceptualizing consciousness and corporeality, akin to earlier revisionisms, particularly physicalism, and forced to deal with similar problems. Reduction - the operation of the “return,” itself understood metaphorically - and antireduction, which resists scientific revisionism and “returns” understanding to the level of everyday language and philosophy to descriptive work, is presented as a circular hermeneutical movement necessary for scientific and philosophical understanding, but not leading to disciplinary hegemony or the “victory” of either side. The study concludes with a sketch of the publications included in the rubric.

RUDN Journal of Philosophy. 2023;27(4):835-847
pages 835-847 views

Relevance of Interdisciplinary Approach in the Study of Consciousness

Sokolova J.V.

Abstract

The research is devoted to justification of the interdisciplinary approach in the study of consciousness. Studying consciousness as a phenomenon is a very divergent project, the mystery of its nature and appearance makes different ways of studying consciousness possible. Besides, consciousness is an umbrella term which may be interpreted differently in different contexts. Various approaches to comprehension of consciousness have been developed nowadays in Philosophy, Psychology, Biology, Medicine, Neurosciences, Sociology, Cognitive and Computer Sciences, Linguistics and a number of other research fields. In the end of the 1980s one can notice an exceptional growth of interest in the problem of consciousness both in Philosophy and Science. The works by Bernard Baars, Daniel Dennett, Roger Penrose, Francis Crick and Christopher Koch, David Chalmers have appeared in these years. They outlined the main approaches to the study of consciousness and demonstrated that study of consciousness became an interdisciplinarity research. The research discusses the features of the phenomenon of consciousness and outlines the main theoretical issues, the most relevant of which are the “hard problem” of consciousness, the problem of mind and body, the problem of “the explanatory gap”, the question of the primacy of the brain in relation to consciousness, the place of consciousness in the modern scientific paradigm, changes of the ethical and worldview interpretation in connection with artificial intelligence, neurochips and neural network. Based on the complexity and multidimensionality of the research field associated with the problem of consciousness, the variety of approaches to studying this problem in Philosophy and Science, the controversial character of the questions raised, and the heated discussion among researches, the author concludes that interdisciplinary studies of consciousness have the greatest heuristic possibilities today.

RUDN Journal of Philosophy. 2023;27(4):848-857
pages 848-857 views

Holding and Reversing the Camera Obscura

Atanasova N.

Abstract

The following study examines the critical interplay between ideology, mediated reality, and the role that individuals’ perceptions, beliefs, and actions play in this process. In doing so, the study delves into the examination of the way power structures and dominant narratives proceed into influencing cultural expression and, consequently, impact social action. It is thus argued that in contemporary society, the Situationist notion of “the spectacle” has replaced any understanding of reality and created a reified social world dominated by commodities that reinforce dominant ideologies and determine subjective perceptions. Furthermore, the paper addresses the impact of this mediated reality on personal subjectivity and agency. Drawing on Marx’s metaphor of the “camera obscura” as ideology, it argues for a transformative “reversal of perspective” that changes how individuals view and engage with their environment. Ultimately, this study underscores the profound impact of “the spectacle” on social relations, ideology, and perception. It argues for a transformative and creative approach that challenges individuals to resist the grasp of the spectacle, reclaim their agency, and develop new perspectives for interacting with the world. The extensions of the gaze subtly refer to the basis of economy manifested as “false consciousness” reflected by the camera obscura as an inverted image but readjusted with the tools of spectacles and mirrors within the reflective apparatus.

RUDN Journal of Philosophy. 2023;27(4):858-868
pages 858-868 views

The Lack of Consciousness of the Presence of the Other in Contemporary Society in the Era of Mass Digitalization

Miliatzidou A.A.

Abstract

This study discusses how the substantial development of technology, especially of social media platforms, in the past decades has altered the conditions that determine human relationships radically. It provides an overview of how emerging technologies have affected interpersonal human relationships by creating a new environment in which communication takes place, which could be exclusively virtual in the future. Then, it touches on the Levinasian theory regarding the self and its constant consciousness of the Other and aims to explore how Levinas’s theory relates to modern society. It highlights the process of how each person strives to find the Other during his/her existence but is often unable to do that and how, in this process, contact with the Other is essential. It is explained that Levinas stresses the importance of meeting with the Other but indicates that we often fail to do so and end up meeting with the Third, an unoriginal form of the Other. Lastly, it is hypothesized that the inability to find the Other in the modern world can be linked to the development of digitalization because new media are often responsible for creating distance in human relationships and, therefore, cannot be the sole medium of creating relationships with others as face-to-face communication and meeting the other are essential components of developing a meaningful relationship with them.

RUDN Journal of Philosophy. 2023;27(4):869-877
pages 869-877 views

“Common Denominator” in Solving Multi-Factory Problems by Intelligent Systems

Adzhemov A.S., Denisova A.B.

Abstract

The most important property, a distinctive feature of any intelligent system, is its decision-making ability. In this case, the more complex the problem to be solved, the more and more diverse the initial data, and the more critical it is that the decision to be made was comprehensively considered and evaluated. In many cases, simultaneously arriving various initial data, if considered separately, and decisions based on such consideration lead to completely different results, often contradicting each other. Therefore, in the process of development and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI), it is especially important to investigate the “mechanism” of decision-making in conditions of the inconsistency of incoming initial data and the need to establish some generalizing rule, according to which it is possible to find a harmonizing solution taking into account various influencing factors. It is evident that when establishing the rules of decision-making, it is necessary to strive for a “positive” result from the point of view of the problem being solved. This undoubtedly requires analyzing the consequences of the decision made in a set time scale, which can be provided by appropriate feedback that will allow us to make the necessary corrective actions. Artificial intelligence in modern forms of practical realization has, as a rule, a digital embodiment. It should be taken into account that the digital representation of data inevitably shows an inaccurate display of initial values when processes of a continuous nature are considered and analyzed. Since a digital model has certain limitations and characteristic properties when analyzing and processing initial data, it is logical to assume that for this reason, there can be some general approach, some general rule, according to which a decision is made in the conditions of diverse initial data and the need to take into account the relevant consequences after the decision is made. This paper attempts to find a decision-making mechanism, harmonizing it according to the incoming external and available internal input data.

RUDN Journal of Philosophy. 2023;27(4):878-887
pages 878-887 views

Human and Non-Human Consciousness: Do They Share Common Characteristics?

Koumparoudi E.

Abstract

This study examines the possible common characteristics between human and non-human consciousness. It mainly addresses animal consciousness and, to a certain extent, intelligent AI. It provides an overview of the main theories regarding consciousness, more specifically those of neuroscience and cognitive science, and also their materialistic base at a neuroanatomical and neurophysiological level, emphasizing the role the prefrontal cortex plays, both in humans and animals. Then, it considers particular aspects of consciousness, such as emotion, and presents the three broad traditions considering human emotions, which are emotions as feelings, evaluations, and judgments, as well as studies on animal emotions. Then, it continues with the proposed models of metacognition and memory to deepen the analysis regarding common characteristics of human and non-human consciousness. It also touches on the platform theory, which may bridge human, animal, and AI consciousness, although this theory is under consideration. It ends with references to animals’ social behavior, their interactions with humans, their possible ontogenic proximity as expressed in biolinguistics, and the findings of computational ethology, which help to establish models of mental human disorders. The study concludes that findings support proximities between humans and animals, consciousness at the level of neurophysiology, and emotion and metacognition. Contrary to animals and AI, human consciousness is more complicated and far from cybernetic and computational models since it is linked with various kinds of malleability, reconsolidation, neural plasticity, different conceptions of emotions, and certain mental pathologies.

RUDN Journal of Philosophy. 2023;27(4):888-900
pages 888-900 views

The Quantum Concept of Consciousness: For or Against?

Knyazev V.N., Parshikova G.V.

Abstract

The study examines a problematic hypothesis of possible approaches to identifying the quantum physical foundations of the functioning of consciousness. The authors proceed from the fact that in modern conditions, not a single science, nor all sciences taken together, gives a final answer to the question of the “mechanism” of the origin of thought. However, this does not mean at all that research in this direction needs to be stopped. The authors express confidence that modern and subsequent research into the “quantum concept of consciousness” will lead to the identification of previously unknown patterns, opening the way to the formation of new principles and approaches. As an example, the corresponding Penrose - Hameroff concept is considered. Quantum mechanics complements the tools of neurobiology and other branches of neuroscience, which together form an interdisciplinary field of knowledge that is dynamically growing and developing. The authors are not apologists for the omnipotence of quantum physics. Quantum correlates of consciousness actually mean that it is not today’s quantum mechanics itself that explains the emergence of mental states, but the fact that in the birth of these states it is essential that in the very process of the formation of neurodynamic impulses in the neurons of the cerebral cortex that generate mental states, there are processes of quantum nature. It should also be recognized that the quantum-molecular level (nanolevel) of processes in the neurons of the brain really exists and it is this that is the source of proto-consciousness. Science strives to move forward, new research programs are emerging within the framework of quantum biology, quantum psychology, quantum information science, which in turn can shed light on the hypothesis of the “quantum concept of consciousness.”

RUDN Journal of Philosophy. 2023;27(4):901-914
pages 901-914 views

Philosophical and Methodological Problems of Modern Neurotheology

Lagunov A.A., Ivanova S.Y.

Abstract

In modern science, research aimed at studying the functioning of the human brain under the influence of various factors of the social and natural environment, including religious practices, both personal and social, is relevant. The purpose of the research is to consider the current state of neurotheology as a new field of knowledge and to analyze the possibilities of its interaction with already existing social and humanitarian disciplines; review, analytical and critical publications of Russian and foreign scientists are used as material for the study. Attention is drawn to the philosophical and methodological problems that neurotheology needs to be resolved in order to determine its place in the modern cognitive space as its organic component. First of all, according to the authors of the article, representatives of this science need to enrich the formed empirical basis with theoretical generalizations, for which it is necessary to implement the principle of interdisciplinarity declared by them and involve specialists from various fields of humanities in the common work. In the hypotheses put forward by neurotheologists, the question of the ontological existence of objects of religious experience is recognized as epistemologically insoluble, however, when constructing a philosophical and worldview concept, it is impossible to limit oneself to such statements; It is noted that the idea developed in neurotheology about the genetic translation of the qualities of the “brain/consciousness” in the process of “cognitive evolution” of mankind returns us to the social deterministic and mechanistic views overcome by modern science. The hope is expressed that neurotheology, having overcome the emerging philosophical and methodological difficulties, will play an important role in the development of Russian science.

RUDN Journal of Philosophy. 2023;27(4):915-927
pages 915-927 views

The Problematic Area of Philosophical Discourses on the Application of Artificial Intelligence Systems in Society

Tsvyk V.A., Tsvyk I.V., Pavlova T.P.

Abstract

The study relevance lies in understanding strategic objectives' content concerning intelligent technologies’ application. The development and application of artificial intelligence in various branches of human activity carry the potential for global changes in society, which, in methodological terms, increases the relevance of considering these problems. The study of ethical problems of artificial intelligence in the concept of sustainable development of society is connected with the dynamic development of innovative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, which are considered a process of becoming a new technosubject in the context of neuroscience development. The article emphasizes that the development of artificial intelligence acts as an innovative form of technology development when a new kind of human-machine technosubject is formed. The authors identify social problems of artificial intelligence application as the digitalization of life becomes a global anthropological challenge. Innovations of artificial intelligence are directly related to a number of ethical problems, as they contribute not only to the sustainable development of society but also cause dehumanization of relations between people and society. Based on the analysis of qualitative changes in scientific and technological research, using human-machine devices is becoming inevitable. Humankind must develop ethical guidelines for the application of AI systems.

RUDN Journal of Philosophy. 2023;27(4):928-939
pages 928-939 views

The Influence of Neurosciences on Understanding the Bodily Conditioning of Cognitive Processes: a Socio-Anthropological Aspect

Chapny Η.V.

Abstract

The study presents a conceptual analysis of the main approaches to the study of the human brain and consciousness from the standpoint of modern domestic and foreign neuroscience. Relevant interpretations of such problematic issues and concepts as “the boundary of the human body”, “embodied knowledge”, “general artificial intelligence”, “self”, etc. From the standpoint of a body-oriented approach, the problem of co-evolution of the body, consciousness, technology and social environment is considered. The idea of the body as an artifact is updated in the context of technological change in human nature, which entails the elimination of the living human body. On the example of the Homeric epic, it is shown that attempts to overcome vulnerability demonstrate one of the fundamental human needs. The realization of the need to expand and push the boundaries of the body in the anthropotechnological environment is presented in the form of a cyborg. It is suggested that, in terms of content, the idea of the “embodied mind”, as well as the project of creating a Hybrid reality and pan-communication, stem from the immanent human need for bodily involvement in the surrounding world. The features of the creation of Artificial Intelligence and Artificial General Intelligence at the present stage are revealed. The expediency of studying the results of neuroscientific comprehension of the organization of mental processes, first of all, in the field of visualization of brain processes and the mapping method, is noted. The main modern projects for the study of the brain, as well as the most effective methods for obtaining data on brain structures, are considered. The actual results of the research are described in such areas of neuroscience as: the study of mirror neurons and their systems; “reading the brain”, the study of neural correlates of consciousness. The results of studies of representatives of domestic neuroscience are presented. The human “I” is considered as a unique structure of the Ego-system of the brain (“self”). In conclusion, a conclusion is made about the significant influence of modern neuroscience on understanding the features of the functioning of the human brain, consciousness and cognitive processes; the effectiveness of applying the body-oriented approach to comprehending the integrity of “body-consciousness-technologies-social environment” is revealed.

RUDN Journal of Philosophy. 2023;27(4):940-956
pages 940-956 views

HISTORY OF RUSSIAN PHILOSOPHY

“The Critique of Pure Reason” in the Writings of P.D. Lodij

Krouglov A.N.

Abstract

First Professor of Logic and Metaphysics at Main Pedagogical Institute and then also St. Petersburg University, Carpatho-Rusyn P. D. Lodij spent a quarter of a century teaching philosophy and law in the Russian Empire in the first third of the 19th century. His knowledge of Kant’s philosophy and his attitude to Kant’s criticism are estimated diametrically opposed in the research literature. An analysis of his main philosophical work, “Logical Precepts which Lead to Cognition and the Distinction of the True from the False” (1815), convincingly proves that Lodij was an excellent scholar of Kant’s philosophy. In Russia, he was the first thinker who spoke about the differences between the first and second editions of the “Critique of Pure Reason”. Lodij also was the first who noted both the revolutionary role of Kant’s Copernican turn, and the importance of Humeʼs causality problem for the formation of critical philosophy. In Russia, Lodij was the first who proposed a detailed description of Kant’s transcendental idealism. At the same time, Lodij’s general attitude to Kant was rather skeptical. In his own logic, he does not follow Kant’s division of logic into pure and applied, but he returns to pre-Kant’s split into theoretical and practical logics. Lodij disputes with the basic conclusions about the space derived from the transcendental aesthetic, denies synthetic judgments a priori and the rooting of the cognizing reason in illusions. Despite his unequivocal claims regarding Kant’s philosophy, “Logical Precepts” and its author were persecuted during the so-called “professorsʼ affair” of the 1820s. As a result, Lodij was suspended from teaching philosophy, and his logic textbook was withdrawn from teaching for both “disgrace” and imaginary Kantianism.

RUDN Journal of Philosophy. 2023;27(4):957-976
pages 957-976 views

Primary Sources of History of Russian Philosophy of the XIX-XX Centuries in Russian State Archives: the Current Condition and Prospects of Study

Chernyaev A.V., Korsakov S.N., Makarova A.F.

Abstract

The study contains the review, analysis, assessment of the current state and prospects for further scientific study of the materials of the Russian state archives, including the personal funds of philosophers and philosophical institutions of Russia in the 19th-20th centuries, which are of the greatest relevance to historians of Russian philosophy. In this regard, on the one hand, the study considers the largest research and scientific-publishing historical and philosophical projects, testifying to the already achieved results of the scientific development of vast arrays of archival documents; on the other hand, a number of collections of Russian state archives (federal, regional, municipal, departmental) have been monitored in order to identify archival collections that were little or insufficiently studied from this point of view. The results of the collective research presented in the article can be considered as the beginning of a large systematic work on the analytical mapping of the content of Russian archival collections relevant to the problems of the history of Russian philosophy. The study shows the importance and productivity of conducting parallel research work both with the personal funds of Russian philosophers of the 19th-20th centuries, and with funds containing documentation of philosophical institutions (magazine editorial offices, faculties, departments, research institutes, publishing houses of philosophical literature, professional and thematic associations of philosophers). In this regard, the question was raised about the need to develop historical and philosophical archiving and source studies in Russia, to include this set of subjects into the system of training historians of philosophy, and also about the need to coordinate the joint efforts of historians of Russian philosophy towards the formation of an archive of Russian philosophy as a significant and publicly available mapped resource. The results obtained in the course of the study should contribute to the emergence of the history of Russian philosophy as a dynamically developing branch of Russian science to a qualitatively new source study and methodological level, necessary for solving the large-scale research tasks, related, in particular, to the scientific preparation of academic collections of works by Russian philosophers and the development of modern fundamental history of Russian philosophy.

RUDN Journal of Philosophy. 2023;27(4):977-995
pages 977-995 views

History of eastern philosophy

Vaishnavism in Nammalvar’s Poem “Tiruviruttam”

Moiseev S.R.

Abstract

Nammalvar, a Tamil poet who lived in IX-X centuries, is revered as one of the great mystics of India. His four poetic works are equated with the sacred hymns and are part of the ritual worship in the temples of South India. Artistic images of Nammalvar formed the basis of the philosophy of Vishishta-Advaita several centuries later. The poem “Thiruviruttam” is considered as his early work, where he combines the canons of ancient Tamil poetry and his devoted love for Vishnu-Tirumal. The study presents a religious and philosophical interpretation of the poem. The secret of the poem is its dualism: external beauty and sacred meaning. There is a spiritual meaning in symbols of Tamil poetry. Nammalvar takes canons of his predecessors, poets of the Sangam era. However, he fills one with new content. The author compares ancient Tamil poetry and the work of Nammalvar. The plot describes the love between God and the soul. The poet reveals several types of bhakti or devoted love. The description of bhakti subsequently formed the basis for the classification of souls in the philosophy of vishishta-advaita. Bhakti leads to the transition to Vaikuntha or the heaven city. Sri Vaishnavism teachers turned the description of relationship soul-Vishnu into a spiritual practice. The artistic images of Nammalvar are compared with Hindu concepts such as transcendence, darshan, divine grace and moksha. In South India “Thiruviruttam” is considered the Tamil Rig Veda. Poem is performed at home, in the temple, during festive processes. It helps to find the roots of Vaishnavism and understand its poetic origin.

RUDN Journal of Philosophy. 2023;27(4):996-1008
pages 996-1008 views

Vietnam Cult of the Mother Goddess and its Influence on Confucian Ethics in Vietnam

Nizhnikov S.A., Martseva A.V., Pham T.B.

Abstract

Vietnam is a country with many spiritual beliefs that reflect the values of its inhabitants, being an important component of their traditional culture. A special place is occupied by faith in the Mother Goddess. This kind of beliefs, which is completely unique for Vietnam, has a long history and emphasizes the feminine principle through the image of a woman with the power and ability to create, enrich and develop everything that exists. Faith in the Mother Goddess reflects the values and high human qualities of the Vietnamese, and it has been recognized by UNESCO as an object of representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Confucian ethics was adopted in Vietnam, but it was influenced by the Vietnamese belief in the Mother Goddess. The cult of the Mother Goddess also had a great influence on the ideas about the role of women in society. The study analyzes the origins, features and values of this cult and indicates its influence on the Vietnamese Confucian ethics. It is established that the activities of the worship of the Mother Goddess contribute to strengthening the sense of community of the Vietnamese nation. In connection with the development of Confucian ethics within the framework of Vietnamese culture, the attitude towards women has changed to a more humane and open one. In modern times, the cult of mother worship has acquired secular features and can be seen as a sign of gender equality.

RUDN Journal of Philosophy. 2023;27(4):1009-1020
pages 1009-1020 views

SCHOLARLY LIFE

What is the Philosophy We Need?

Kolychev P.M., Losev K.V.

Abstract

The study provides an overview of the discussion “What is the philosophy we need?”, that took place in the frames of “Modern Ontology - XI: Ontology and Religion” International Scientific and Practical Conference. The discussion spread around three main areas of philosophy teaching: philosophy as the history of philosophy, philosophy as the basis for the worldview, and philosophy as a system-categorical knowledge about the world as a whole. Supporters of the first position demonstrated the content diversity of philosophy, often emphasizing the teacher’s right to choose historical and philosophical material, this position caused criticism from other conference participants, whose main argument was the erosion of the philosophy content. Regarding the second position in the frames of discussion, its participants either denied the involvement of philosophy in the worldview formation, or believed that philosophy is the basis for the worldview, and the task of philosophy, in particular, is to form the worldview of students. As arguments, supporters of this approach cited the need for the philosophy in the transformation of modern spiritual life in Russia. This approach was in harmony with the position of the discussion participants, who advocated a system-categorical approach in philosophy teaching. This approach supposed the combination of abstract section (Ontology) with a specific section, where it would be necessary to consider the three following sections of philosophy: 1 - philosophy of nature, 2 - philosophy of socio-anthropological reality, 3 - philosophy of religion. At the same time, the supporters of this approach suggested using the substantive part of Soviet philosophy as a basis, which needs to be transformed taking into account the achievements of modern knowledge.

RUDN Journal of Philosophy. 2023;27(4):1021-1032
pages 1021-1032 views

Transcendental Turn in Contemporary Philosophy - VIII: Metaphysics, Epistemology, Transcendental Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence

Shiyan A.A., Petrov V.B.

Abstract

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RUDN Journal of Philosophy. 2023;27(4):1033-1041
pages 1033-1041 views

Review of Book on Contemporary African Theology “The Routledge Handbook of African Theology” еdited by E.K. Bongmba

Mbina J.C.

Abstract

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RUDN Journal of Philosophy. 2023;27(4):1042-1046
pages 1042-1046 views

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