Bridging the Gap

Can consciousness be scientifically explained? While scientific knowledge of the brain is still lacking in many ways, philosophers like Joseph Levine and David Chalmers have already argued that such an explanation is impossible. The book addresses this widely discussed argument from a new angle: It starts from the fact that the arguments for the so called 'explanatory gap' rely crucially on our current concept of consciousness. The present work therefore looks at the possibility of conceptual change as a way to remove the obstacles to a scientific explanation of consciousness. It presents a possible development of our concept of consciousness which would allow for an explanation and shows that the arguments for the gap can therefore be refuted.

Astrid Schomäcker studied philosophy at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Universidad de Granada and New York University. Her dissertation project was part of the Berlin School of Mind and Brain and funded by the German Academic Scholarship Foundation. Currently she is a post-doctoral researcher at University Duisburg-Essen.