["Homo neurobiologicus"--anthropological concepts in modern psychiatry]

The workings of the human brain can now be studied with a large arsenal of modern technical tools which lead us far beyond traditional realms of philosophical self-reflection and conventional experimental psychology. The black box of the human mind has become illuminated with the following consequences: (1) diagnosis and monitoring of mental and neurological diseases have improved significantly; and (2) early interpretations of the brain's workings as we can now see it, influence the way we think and feel about ourselves. They form an inevitable part of modern anthropology, particularly in its applied forms, e.g. psychiatry and psychotherapy. Conservative branches of human studies may be appalled by nimble neuroscientists who suddenly claim superior evidence and authority. It is an open question whether these schools of traditional and of revolutionary data acquisition and thought will find a common language which can also be translated into clinically useful concepts.