Thomas Metzinger

The argument that the phenomenal self acts as a mental construct created by the brain serves as the cornerstone of the work produced by Thomas Metzinger. Born in Frankfurt in 1958, this German writer and university teacher has dedicated his career to theoretical philosophy, navigating the complex intersections of neuroscience, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence.

Academic Foundation and Career

Metzinger completed his studies in philosophy, theology, and ethnology at Goethe University Frankfurt, earning his doctorate in 1985 with a thesis examining the mind-body problem. He attained his habilitation at the University of Giessen in 1992. His institutional career included a professorship of philosophy of cognitive science at Osnabrück University in 2000, followed by a move to Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz later that year. He has held several prestigious fellowships, including time at the Berlin Institute for Advanced Study and the Gutenberg Research College. From 2019 to 2022, he served under a Senior-Forschungsprofessur awarded by the Ministry of Science, Education and Culture.

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Research and Philosophical Contributions

His primary research interests involve the philosophy of mind and applied ethics. In his 2003 publication, Being No One, he introduced the self-model theory of subjectivity. Metzinger has been active in professional organizations, including a term as president of the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness in 2010. He also led the German Cognitive Science Society from 2005 to 2007. His work extends to the practical, as evidenced by his tenure as a member of the European Commission’s High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence between 2018 and 2020 and his 2019 founding of the MPE project.

Advocacy and Institutional Roles

Metzinger maintains extensive involvement with various foundations and research institutes. He acts as an Adjunct Fellow at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies and serves on the advisory boards of the MIND Foundation and the Giordano Bruno Foundation. He also holds the presidency of the Barbara Wengeler Foundation and helped co-found the German Effective Altruism Foundation. In 2022, he gained membership in the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. His written output continues to address contemporary issues, including meditation, which he has practiced twice daily for over forty years.