Consciousness is according to Science magazine the second most important question facing science over the next quarter-century. The EUROCORES programme “Consciousness in a Natural and Cultural Context” offers a valuable framework for researchers from the humanities, social and natural sciences to build joint research projects to approach this question.

 This area has seen different times such as when debating consciousness was the exclusive domain of philosophers. Today, one of the important challenges is to integrate these philosophical clarifications and conceptualizations with cleverly designed experiments and modern technology. For example, empirical data can serve to challenge and validate theoretical analyses, while conceptual analyses can provide directions and tools for the empirical scientists.

The leading idea behind the EUROCORES programme “Consciousness in a Natural and Cultural Context” is that consciousness is both a cultural and a biological phenomenon. Consciousness is inherently private and subjective which emerges from the physical properties and organization of neurons in the brain within a social environment. The Programme offers a valuable framework for researchers from the humanities, social and natural sciences to build joint research projects, in order to foster top-quality consciousness research in Europe.