THE CURRENT PROBLEMS OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF CONSCIOUSNESS
А.р. Озкан, S. M. Jalmagambetova
Bulletin of Toraighyrov University Humanities series March 30, 2026 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.48081/bgqf1870 via OpenAlex
Summary
The publication analyzes debates in modern philosophy of consciousness, emphasizing the interaction between brain function, thinking, and consciousness. It critiques the perception of consciousness as an independent substance and discusses its conceptual objectification. Historical perspectives on consciousness are explored from Neolithic practices to the Reformation's focus on conscience. The author advocates for an interdisciplinary approach that combines philosophy, cognitive science, and neuroscience to better understand consciousness.
Study at a glance
| Key finding | An interdisciplinary approach integrating philosophy, cognitive science, and neuroscience is crucial for advancing the understanding of consciousness. |
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Abstract
This publication provides comprehensive analysis of essential de-bates and challenges which are characteristic of modern philosophy of consciousness. The author believes that the cognitive sphere functions through interaction of the brain, thinking,knowledge,and consciousness itself.The scientific importance of studying these connections is reliant on characteristic features of each element which define the boundaries of the following discipline. The article mentions that analytical para-digm stands out from the perception of consciousness as an independ-ent substance. It is mostly described as a conceptual objectification and reification of the qualities of the subject which is arranged through the method of conscious. The same position reduces the risks of dualism by targeting the aim of research at linguistics and functional aspects. Questions related to the nature of mind and sources of conscious-ness have accompanied the humanity throughout its history. The retro-spective aspects of this problem have been considered in this article: from Neolithic burial practices, which act as early evidence of minimal-ly reflective thinking and the presence of spiritual beliefs to the philo-sophical systems of the Modern era. The particular attention is focused on etymological and conceptual connection between the concepts of «consciousness» and «conscience.» The author underlines that in spite of current semantic distinction ,the emphasis of Reformation era on conscience has played an essential role as an internal and intimate source of truth in the formation process of «inward circulation». This historical circulation has created the founda-tion for the contemporary reflexive glance on human «I» and identi-fied the development vector of Western European thoughts. The final part of the article examines the psychophysical problem and the diffi-culties which appear while reduction of mental cases to neurophysio-logical processes of the brain. The author concludes that the interdisci-plinary approach which integrates philosophy, cognitive science, and neuroscience is considered very important for further progress in per-ceiving the phenomenon of consciousness. The article calls for recon-sideration of classic categories by taking into account new information on human cognitive architecture.