Thomas Metzinger | |
|---|---|
 Metzinger in 2022 | |
| Born | (1958-03-12)12 March 1958 (age 67) |
| Education | |
| Education | Goethe University Frankfurt |
| Philosophical work | |
| Era | Contemporary philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| Institutions | University of Giessen University of Osnabruck University of Mainz |
| Main interests | |
| Notable ideas | PhenomenalSelf model (PSM) |
Thomas Metzinger (born 12 March 1958) is a Germanphilosopher and Professor Emeritus oftheoretical philosophy at theUniversity of Mainz. His primary research areas includephilosophy of mind, philosophy of neuroscience, andapplied ethics, particularly focusing onneurotechnology,virtual reality, andartificial intelligence. He has argued in his bookBeing No One that thephenomenal self is a mental construct created by the brain.[1] His 2024 bookThe Elephant and the Blind compiled extensive research onmeditation.
Metzinger studied philosophy,ethnology, andtheology atGoethe University Frankfurt. He received his doctorate there in 1985, with a thesis on themind-body problem. In 1992, he completed hishabilitation at theUniversity of Giessen. In 2000, Metzinger was appointed professor ofphilosophy of cognitive science atOsnabrück University, but moved to theUniversity of Mainz in the same year.[2]
Metzinger cofounded in 1994 of theAssociation for the Scientific Study of Consciousness,[3][4] of which he has been a board and committee member, and was the 2010 president.[5] From 2005 to 2007 he was president of the GermanCognitive Science Society.[6] Metzinger is an Adjunct Fellow at theFrankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies,[7] a co-founder of the German Effective Altruism Foundation,[8] president of the Barbara Wengeler Foundation,[9] and on the advisory board of theGiordano Bruno Foundation[10] and the MIND Foundation.[11] From 2008 to 2009, he served as a Fellow at theBerlin Institute for Advanced Study;[12] from 2014 to 2019, he was a Fellow at the Gutenberg Research College; from 2019 to 2022, he was awarded aSenior-Forschungsprofessur by the Ministry of Science, Education and Culture.[13] In 2019 he founded the MPE project.[14] From 2018 to 2020, Metzinger worked as a member of the European Commission’s High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence.[15] In 2022 he was elected into theGerman National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.[16]
Metzinger has practicedmeditation twice a day for over forty years.[17] He has recommendedvipassana practice.[18]
Die Seniorforschungsprofessur hat eine Laufzeit von drei Jahren (bis zum 31.03.2022).[The senior research professorship has a term of three years (until March 31, 2022).]
