The 'I' of the beholder: studying the 'self' across the humanities and neuroscience

Long debated within the humanistic tradition, the concept of 'self' has recently been embraced as a subject of investigation by cognitive neuroscience. Tracing parallels between ancient philosophical ideas and current-day scientific research on the 'self', the author proposes that contemporary knowledge based on empirical neuroscientific evidence may inform novel perspectives on-and draw inspiration from-notions grounded in ancient intuitions and traditionally falling within humanistic fields of enquiry. Further, the author suggests that the 'self', as a major object of philosophical and psychological enquiry, as well as a central component of human motivation, cognition, affect and social identity, is an inherently cross-disciplinary research topic, which, by virtue of its pervasive and defining presence in human existence, lends itself-and demands-to be approached both from scientific (objective) and phenomenological (subjective) vantage points. On this premise, the author proposes that the study of the 'self' provides both neuroscientists and humanists with a fertile ground for cross-disciplinary research, and with the challenge and the opportunity to rethink the relationship of science to knowledge.