Previous guests of the section Theoretical Philosophy

Dr. Bertille de Vlieger (Université Lille, France)

Duration: 01.05. 2023- 30.06.2023

Project: Introspection and phenomenal concepts

Ernst Mach Scholarship (OeAD)

Mentor: Dr. Martina Fürst (University of Graz)

 

Project description:

The aim of the project is a systematic analysis of the relationship between introspection and phenomenal concepts. Introspection is a method that is arguably essential for understanding and describing our conscious experiences. In order to describe experience, it must be conceptualized and classified. This is achieved by using a class of concepts called "phenomenal concepts". Phenomenal concepts are concepts that allow us to think about the phenomenal character of our conscious experiences. Therefore, it is often assumed that phenomenal concepts and introspection have a special and unique relationship (Balog 2012, Chalmers 2003, Gertler 2001, Horgan & Kriegel 2007). There is extensive literature on the nature of phenomenal concepts, but this is largely embedded in the debate about the hard problem of consciousness (Chalmers 1995) and is only peripheral to the debate about the nature of introspection. Little has been said about the ways in which phenomenal concepts emerge, are formed, and are deployed in the course of the introspective process. The project is organized around three axes: (i) the nature and formation of phenomenal concepts, (ii) the function and role they play in the introspective process, and (iii) the problems and limitations associated with their deployment and use in the introspective Procedure.