„Homo neurobiologicus“: Die neurowissenschaftlichen Erklärungsversuche des Gehirn-Geist-Problems und ihre methodischen Konsequenzen
Homo neurobiologicus. The significance of neuroscience in foreign language didactics – perspectives and limitations

Summary/Abstract: The present article aims at answering the question to what extent the picture of man portrayed by contemporary neurobiological sciences is relevant for the anthropocentric orientation of foreign language didactics. It also strives to outline both research perspectives and limitations arising from the adoption of the vision of ‘homo neurobiologicus’, in other words, the perspectives and limitations of the materialistic-reductionist view on man. The paper focuses on the philosophical and scientific views on the psychophysical issue, as put forward both in the past and in the present. These include, among others, changes implied by the most recent discoveries of neurobiological sciences. The author stresses the fact that science does not manage to give ultimate answers to the fundamental issue of the relationship between mind and brain. Thus, while adopting the perspective of foreign language didactics, it is recommended to maintain some kind of critical distance towards new discoveries of neurobiological sciences, even though they can contribute to the redefinition of the current views on the picture of man in foreign language didactics.

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