Fathoming the Mind: A Closer Look at the Formation of Self

Panel Discussion January 17, 2023

Recent research in animal behavior and culture shows that the mental capacities of animals have been largely undervalued. And yet it is hard to resist the impression of a gap—a difference in nature rather than degree—between humans and non-humans when it comes to certain tasks involving abstraction, planning, sustained attention, or the transmission of culture over generations. How different is the human mind from the minds of non-human animals? The key to these issues may lie in the capacity of the mind to relate to itself as a “self” that bears desires and intentions, along with agency and purpose. But how is this compatible with the recognition that much of our mental activity occurs at an unconscious or subconscious level, below the threshold of awareness and reflection? Is our perceived unity of self or mind an illusion we entertain for practical purposes?

Psychologist and philosopher Alison Gopnik, ecologist Carl Safina, and biologist Kenneth R. Miller explore what separates humans from other animals in relation to the construct of “self.”

Panel

  • Steve Paulson Journalist and Executive Producer, TTBOOK
  • Alison Gopnik Professor of Philosophy, UC Berkeley
  • Carl Safina Ecologist and Author, Stony Brook University
  • Kenneth R. Miller Professor of Biology, Brown University

Details

  • Tuesday, January 17, 2023
  • 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

  • The New York Academy of Medicine
    1216 5th Ave, New York, NY 10029

About This Series

This event is part of the three-part series The Enduring Enigma of the Mind, which brings together leading scientists and thinkers from an array of disciplines to help ponder and unravel the complexities of the human mind, from its origins and functions to its cultivation and development, with a view toward ultimately acquiring greater insight into ourselves and the nature of our existence.

Sponsors

Highlights

  • The Amazing Emotional Lives of Animals Jan 17, 2023 04:10 693
  • Can AI Ever Develop Consciousness or a Sense of Self? Jan 17, 2023 02:48 1059
  • Emotion: The Engine of Civilization Jan 17, 2023 01:32 379
  • Different Cultures, Different Selves Jan 17, 2023 01:42 367
  • Why Do Humans Spread Culture and Innovate? Jan 17, 2023 04:22 261
  • Sociobiology: How Much of Human Behavior is Instinct-Driven? Jan 17, 2023 06:18 2253
  • When Do Children Start Developing a Sense of Self? Jan 17, 2023 03:24 1446
  • The Singularity of Humans Jan 17, 2023 04:07 489
  • Intelligence Defined in Three Different Ways Jan 17, 2023 05:05 638
  • The Sense of Self: The Utility of the Mirror Test Jan 17, 2023 05:35 669
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