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Download Article (PDF) Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 176 2nd International Conference on Management, Education and Social Science (ICMESS 2018) Neurophenomenology: A Perspective of Scientific Epistemology Zhang Jingzhu Ren Qiaohua School of Marxism, Shenyang Jianzhu University School of Marxism, Shenyang Jianzhu University Shenyang, China, 110168 Shenyang, China, 110168 [email protected] [email protected] Abstract—Since the 21st century, philosophical epistemology and methodology have been greatly affected by phenomenology. II. THE RISE OF NEUROPHENOMENOLOGY The most representative view is that in neuroscience research, Neuro-phenomenology refers to a research program that there is a phenomenological method to illustrate consciousness. addresses the problem of consciousness from the perspective Firstly, neurophenomenology combines first-person of pragmatics, linking neuroscience to phenomenology, and is phenomenological methods with third-person neuroscience designed to study experience, mind and consciousness, and to methods to deal with “hard” problem. Secondly, from the emphasize the specific conditions of the human mind. This perspective of scientific epistemology, phenomenology combines the standpoints of Foundherentist to explore the influence of the field is related to neuropsychology, neuroanology, behavioral integration of neuroscience and phenomenology on science neuroscience (also known as biological psychology), and epistemology. It is found that neurophenomenology of psychopathological studies. In 1990, Laughlin C., McManus J. consciousness reflects the implications of constructivist and and Aqua E. proposed the theory of neurocognition. In the methodologically embodies the necessity of combining scientific mid-1990s, the cognitive neuroticist, Francisco Varela gave rationality with introspection training in scientific research. the neuro-phenomenology to different connotations, which inspired many philosophers and neuroscientists to explore the Keywords—Neurophenomenology; Foundherentist; Scientific problem in new directions. Epistemology; Methodology Phenomenology is a philosophical method of daily experience. Phenomenology is derived from the Greek I. INTRODUCTION “phainomenon”, meaning “displayed in the experience object”, In the case of the consciousness analysis of which is to verify the phenomenon pointing to different phenomenology, the intuitive method starts from the category consciousness. This is so-callled the "first person" perspective of consciousness and makes up for the limitations of the of the consciousness. Thus, phenomenology is a discipline that methods from natural science. In the late 20th century, examines how the phenomenon manifests for us and how we phenomenology had an important influence on cognitive derive meaning from it [2]. From a historical point of view, science, resulting in an embodied cognitive approach. Hubert Husserl is regarded as a well-known phenomenological L. Dreyfus argues that the ontological hypothesis by philosopher with a specific methodology to study computational theory, representation theory and artificial consciousness, that is, the suspension. Husserl is Brentano’s intelligence is untenable so that it has the needs for integration student, who argues that from a view of mind, the recognition of neuroscience with embodied-ontology [1]. This of consciousness is characterized by the intention, which is consciousness problem has spawned the birth of extremely important. The concept of intention is often neurophenomenology. Neurophenomenology as a scientific interpreted as “directness”; consciousness is always directed at research program aims to solve the problem of consciousness, an object. In the mid-20th century, the philosopher Morris in which the neuroscience and phenomenology organically are Mello Ponty developed an embodied-phenomenology. combined to study the experience, mind and consciousness, Neuroscience is seen as a brain science that explores the third- emphasizing the embodiment of human mind. person approach to consciousness. Scientists engaged in Neurophenomenology is also regarded as a phenomenological conscious research argue that neither the first nor the third study of psychology, closely related to neurocognics, person method can solve the problem of consciousness. neuroanology and behavioral neuroscience, so the question is Therefore, neuroscience and phenomenology began to seek raised with respect to how to interpret neurocognology and its the path between the intermediation, but after all, contribution to epistemology? phenomenology and philosophy of mind have the ontological inconsistency, which causes a barrier for the dialogue between the two. Philosopher, Hubert Dreyfus, opens up a new direction in the integration of neuroscience with embodied- ontological research through the attempt to solve the related problems through computationalism, representationism, Copyright © 2018, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). 392 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 176 cognitive science, and ontological assumptions of artificial B. The Definition of neurophenomenology sciences. However, we still have arguments against Hubert Neuro-phenomenlogy argues that neuroscience needs to Dreyfus's explanation of Husserl, with a high interest in explain that the mental model we are experiencing is the understanding how Husserl's phenomenology is integrated image of the object and how the brain leads to a sense of self- with psychology [3]. Typical representatives of identity in the cognitive process. We feel the thought image neurocognological studies include Laughlin C. , McManus J., that is formed in special circumstances [7]. From the Varela F., etc., who try to analyze phenomenology with phenomenological point of view, the second problem concerns neuroscience. That is, the insight into phenomenology will be with the purely rational side of consciousness, especially the useful in interpreting the cognitive basis of biology. minimal or core self brought by the subtle subjective experience, hereby making contrast with narrative or III. UNDERSTANDINGS OF NEUROPHENOMENOLOGY autobiographical self [8]. Cognitive scientists emphasize that this primitive self-consciousness is related to the regulation of A. The Defination of consciousness life, the emotional process of the body, so all cognitive and The consciousness can be classified into different intentional behavior is based on emotion, but this view has set categrories: creature consciousness, background consciousness off the debate on a sense of access consciousness and and state consciousness, transitive or intransitive phenomenal consciousness. From the phenomenological point consciousness, access consciousness, phenomenal of view, life experience is composed of pre-verbal, pre- consciousness, introspective consciousness, pre-reflective reflective and emotional state of mind, which can not directly selfconsciousness, etc. [4] However, we still have a hot debate get access to thinking, introspection and oral report. These on the problem of access consciousness and phenomenal states must be in a case of primitive self-consciousness, or consciousness. A view is that, from the perspective of they can not be characterized as consciousness; especially phenomenology, the content of consciousness can not get through the first person method, the mental state can get access to thinking, which can not access to the rational control access to thinking, reflection, introspection and oral report. of action and oral report. Another view is that the concept of In short, many theorists distinguish between access consciousness is incoherent. [5] From the perspective of consciousness and phenomenal consciousness. Neuro- phenomenology, some Asian phenomenological studies point phenomenology, by emphasizing the structural dynamics of to the concept of intentionality and pre-reflective self- object-oriented objects, reconstructs the theoretical framework, consciousness. including the experience of reflection or the structure and time Pre-reflective self-consciousness is the original form of dynamics of introspection. self-consciousness, belonging to any conscious experience: in addition to the object of intent, any experience instinctively IV. NEUROPHENOMENOLOGY : A VIEW OF SCIENTIFIC characterize itself. This self-representation is a primitive form EPISTEMOLOGY of self-consciousness that needs to be understood from three aspects: 1) it does not require any reflection or introspective A. The Relationship Between Consciousness And follow-up with the object consciousness; 2) it does not form a Epistemological Research belief or make a judgment; 3) From the spontaneous and The phenomenological approach to cognitive cognition voluntary point of view it is negative. In this regard, it is requires reference to linguistics and interdisciplinary theory, necessary to distinguish between the purely rational process of covering the scope of the phenomenon of consciousness, experience and the relationship between the content of the including the category under the label of consciousness and experience. Experience involves no more than the object's the etymology of linguistics. From the point of view of noema, and the tacit consciousness is treated as a process of linguistics, consciousness is rooted in the Latin “conscius”. intent [6]. For example, when we see an object, we
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