Theories of Self and Self-Consciousness (030093-WiSe 2025/26)

Seminar structure: This seminar is a research-oriented seminar which especially enables the participants to develop a project which leads into a BA-thesis or a master-thesis. We will read central chapters of new forthcoming book by Distinguished Professor Susanna Schellenberg (Rutgers University). She will come to a 1,5 day workshop to present and discuss her brand new work in person at RUB. Workshop date: Thursday 11th of Dec. 13.00 Uhr & Friday 12th of Dec. 16.30 Uhr.
Seminar Content: In this seminar, we will explore theories of self-consciousness. This includes a variety of phenomena which are part of or closely related to self-consciousness, namely the sense of agency, of ownership and the phenomenon of perspectivity as well as the role of an autobiographical self as well as a normative self and its development. This seminar has a clear focus in philosophy but will involve some psychological texts as well. The main topic in the introductory part is the discussion of modern theories of human self-consciousness. Self-consciousness can be defined as the ability to consciously represent one’s own states, especially (but not only) mental states, as one’s own (Newen, Vogeley 2003).Concerning self-consciousness, we can distinguish four central questions which allow us to illustrate the wide range of this central debate:
The epistemological question: Do we have a privileged access to our own mental phenomena such that only we can know with certainty which mental phenomena we have?
The ontological question: Is there a self as an ontologically irreducible entity?
The cognitive question: How can we investigate the natural basis of self-c. with the methods of empirical psychology and cognitive neuroscience?
The question about personal identity: What is the criterion of being a person and of remaining the same person? In the seminar we will discuss texts concerning all dimensions of human self-consciousness.
After having developed an understanding of self and self-consciousness, we will work on the question whether there can be artificial selves in AI systems and what this would look like. This question is a key question in Schellenberg’s book.
Details for receiving a certificate will be presented at the beginning of the seminar. Bachelor- and Master-students can acquire the usual certificates and credit points based on the usual amount of work. The workload involves the standard tools of oral presentations and essay writing. Presentations and discussions will be (usually) in English.