Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg: Phenomenological Psychopathology

Section Phenomenological Psychopathology and Psychotherapy

The interdisciplinary research group “Phenomenological Psychopathology and Psychotherapy“, led by Prof. Dr. med. Dr. phil. Thomas Fuchs, explores the underlying structures of subjective experience and their alterations in mental illness, using both theoretical as well as empirical methodologies. Here psychiatrists, philosophers and psychologists work together on common issues such as changes of the self-awareness, corporeality or intersubjectivity due to mental illness.

E-Workshop with Thomas Fuchs at CY Advanced Studies | CY Cergy Paris Université; 17.05.2022

Understanding Sophia? On human interaction with AI systems and robots

Against the backdrop of increasing similarity between robotic performance and human communication, the lecture explores the question of whether there can be shared meaning constitution and empathy in human-AI and human-robot interaction. It first describes the human tendency to anthropomorphize artificial agents and then analyzes the concept of understanding, which presupposes (a) the subjectivity of the counterpart, (b) shared feelings, (c) shared intentions or a "we-intentionality". Furthermore, the assumption of a possible subjectivity realized by future AI systems is rejected on the basis of an enactive account of consciousness. Finally, the risks of "digital animism" are pointed out, illustrated by the example of virtual or chatbot psychotherapy.

The e-workshop is co-organised by Alfonsina Scarinzi, visiting researcher at CY AS, and by Thomas Fuchs, Karl-Jaspers-Professor for the Philosophical Foundations of Psychiatry as well as head of the section "Phenomenological Psychopathology and Psychotherapy," at the Psychiatric Department, Heidelberg University (Germany

Video

New publication

Selbst- und Welterleben in der Schizophrenie: Die phänomenologischen Interviews EASE und EAWE

Fuchs, T., de Haan, S., Ludwig, M., Martin, L. (2021)
Selbst- und Welterleben in der Schizophrenie. Die phänomenologischen Interviews EASE und EAWE
Stuttgart: Kohlhammer

New publication

In Defense of the Human Being

Fuch, T. (2021) In Defense of the Human Being: Foundational Questions of an Embodied Anthropology. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Interview with Prof. Dr. Dr. Thomas Fuchs in "Melchior" 14/21 (German)

In Defense of the Human Being (in German)

A conversation with philosopher and psychiatrist Thomas Fuchs about mankind's dreams, the humbug of digital immortality and the meaning of corporeality. (Interviewer: Magdalena Hegglin)

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Interview with Prof. Dr. Dr. Thomas Fuchs (in German)

How much digitalization can humans tolerate? (Online Talk with Karoline Gil)

Not only as a result of the Corona pandemic do we see enormous progress in artificial intelligence and massive changes in our lifeworld due to digitalization processes. This raises questions about how these processes affect our understanding of human beings and the image of humanity. How much digitalization can humans tolerate?

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