Irrationality and Explanation in Schizophrenia: a case study in the foundations of neuroscience
Ian Gold, ARC Large Grant 2001-2003, $136,000
The recent advent of the philosophy of neuroscience is filling an obvious lacuna in the philosophy of science. Its purpose is to investigate philosophical problems concerning the way neuroscience contributes to the theory of the mind as well as problems about neuroscience itself. Schizophrenia is an ideal case study for the philosophy of neuroscience because it unites both of these kinds of investigation, and this project asks two philosophical questions about the theory of schizophrenia: What makes the delusions of schizophrenia irrational? And should neuroscientific explanations of schizophrenia aspire to be given in purely biological terms?