The Embodied Self, the Pattern Theory of Self, and the Predictive Mind
1Institut für Philosophie II, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Frontiers in Psychology
|December 12, 2018
Summary
Human self-consciousness requires an embodied self, not a metaphysical one. This embodied self, understood as a flexible pattern, integrates affective flow with intentional objects, aligning with predictive coding models.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Philosophy of Mind
- Neuroscience
Background:
- The nature of the self and its relation to self-consciousness are debated.
- Existing theories include the no-self position and the narrative self concept.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the necessary presuppositions for human self-consciousness.
- To propose an alternative model of the self beyond abstract or non-existent entities.
Main Methods:
- Philosophical argumentation.
- Integration of existing theories (e.g., Metzinger, Dennett, Gallagher).
- Exploration within the predictive coding framework.
Main Results:
- Argues for an embodied self, distinct from metaphysical substances.
- Proposes a pattern theory of the self, emphasizing flexibility and variability.
- Demonstrates how this embodied self integrates affective flow and intentional objects.
Conclusions:
- Self-consciousness arises from an integrated, embodied self.
- The embodied self is best understood as a dynamic pattern.
- Self-representation and world-representation develop in parallel within a predictive coding framework.
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