One oft the most fascinating abilities of humans is the ability to become conscious of the own physical and mental states. In this systematic investigation of self-consciousness, a representational theory is developed that is able to distinguish between different levels of self-consciousness. The most basic levels are already present in such simple animals as ants. From these basic forms, which are also relevant for adult human self-consciousness, high-level self-consciousness including self-knowledge can arise. Thereby, the theory is not only able to integrate developmental considerations but also to sharply distinguish different aspects of the complex phenomenon self-consciousness. Pathological breakdowns of these different aspects, as they can be found in schizophrenia, are explained by specific impairments on different levels of self-representation. In this way, the work shows that a naturalistic theory of self-consciousness is possible, if the analysis starts with very simple and basic mechanisms instead of starting on the 'top of the iceberg'. Gottfried Vosgerau, geb. 1978, Studium der Philosophie, Allg. Sprachwissenschaft und Kognitionswissenschaft in Freiburg und Bonn. 2004-2007 Mitarbeiter im Forschungsprojekt 'Selbstbewusstsein und Begriffsbildung beim Menschen' (Prof. Newen, VW-Stiftung), zunächst in Tübingen, dann in Bochum. 2007 Promotion in Philosophie an der Ruhr-Universität Bochum. Seit 2007 Post-Doc am Institut für Philosophie der Ruhr-Universität Bochum. Forschungsschwerpunkte: Philosophie des Geistes, Philosophie der Kognitions- und Neurowissenschaften, Sprachphilosophie Bei mentis erschienen: Den eigenen Geist kennen (2005, zus. mit A. Newen)
