Silvia Gáliková, born in Bratislava, Slovakia, in 1962. Ph.D from Prešov University. Senior Fellow at the Institute of Philosophy from the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava.
Visiting Grant Scholar (1 April 2004 – 30 June 2004)
THE PHENOMENON OF CONSCIOUSNESS
In my proposed project, I planned to complete the two final chapters – VI and VII of a book entitled, “The Phenomenon of Consciousness” (new title “Psyche”: human mind through the philosophers “I”). In chapter VI, Models and theories of consciousness, I concentrated on an analysis of necessary and sufficient criteria for a systematic theory of consciousness. In the final chapter, VII, Faires, centaurs and mandrakes, I bring together philosophy and science in explaining the nature of human mind and consciousness. In contrast to mainstream thought in philosophy, I reached the conclusion that, no matter how contra-intuitive it may seem, conscious experience is a natural phenomenon open to scientific inquiry and explanation. I also reconsidered the structure of the whole book and I completed a revision of the first three chapters: chapter I, Physis and Psyche, chapter II, A Little neuronal music and chapter III, The mysterious brain. One of the specific contributions NIAS made to my research was to help me cross the boundary between the sciences and engage in a cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural dialogue.