Dr. Astrid Schomäcker

Dr. Astrid Schomäcker,
Geb. A2 3, Raum 0.16
E-Mail:  astrid.schomaecker(at)uni-saarland.de
Tel.-Nr.: +49 (0)681 302-3332

Research Interests

My main area of research is Philosophy of Mind which I am currently broadening towards philosophy of AI and ethics of AI. Here at Saarland University I am a postdoctoral researcher in the EIS (Explainable Intelligent Systems) project which investigates how explainability of artificial intelligent systems contributes to the fulfillment of important societal desidarata like responsible decision-making or trustworthiness of AI (https://explainable-intelligent.systems). My research interests in this area include the relationship between human bias and algorithmic bias as well as the role of conceptual change in explanations. In my dissertation, I developed a reply to the Hard Problem of Consciousness which focused on conceptual change. I argued that while our current concepts might not allow for a physicalist explanation of phenomenal consciousness, a path can be shown from our current concepts to concepts that allow for such an explanation.

Employment

• Since 04/2021                  Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiterin (Graduate Assistant), Saarland University, Chair for Philosophy of Mind and Cognitive Systems (Lena Kästner)
• 11/2018-04/2020            Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin (Graduate Assistant) at Universität Duisburg-Essen, Chair for Ethics and Anthropology (Neil Roughley)
• 11/2009 – 04/2013         Student assistant at Chair for Philosophy of Science und Natural  Philosophy, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin
• 04/2008 – 07/2008         Student assistant at the Institute for Philosophy, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin

Education

• 10/2013 – 01/2019        Doctoral student at Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin
• 01/2015 – 05/2015         Visiting Graduate Student in Philosophy, New York University
• 10/2009 – 10/2012         Master of Arts in Philosophy at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin
• 10/2006 – 01/2010         Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy/Music and Media Sciences, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin
• 07/2008 – 02/2009        ERASMUS semester at Universidad de Granada, Spain

Publications

• 2020       Bridging the gap: How Conceptual Change can Remove the Obstacles to a Scientific Explanation of Consciousness. Berlin: Schwabe

Scientific Presentations

• 08/2017    “Finding a functional description of phenomenal consciousness: A two-fold strategy (Poster)”

                                Conference of the European Society for Philosophy and Psychology, Hertfordshire, UK

• 06/2017       “Two Ideas of A Priori Entailment”

                                   Rudolf Carnap Lectures, Ruhr Universität Bochum, Germany

• 06/2016        “A Problem with Armchair Arguments against Explaining Consciousness” (Poster)

                                    Conference of the Association of the Scientific Study of Consciousness, Buenos Aires, Argentina

• 09/2015      “Can our Phenomenal Concepts Change?” (Poster)

                                 Conference of the Gesellschaft für Analytische Philosophie, Osnabrück, Germany

• 06/2015       “Can our Phenomenal Concepts Change?”

                                   Towards a Science of Consciousness Conference, Helsinki, Finnland

• 05/2014         “The Role of Consciousness in the Free Will Debate”

                                    Symposium Free Will: Philosophy meets Neuroscience, Bar-Illan, Israel

• 08/2014         “Conceptual Change and the Explanatory Gap”

                                    Humboldt-Princeton Graduate Conference, Berlin, Germany

Teaching

• 04/2019 – 07/2019         Seminar “Willensfreiheit”
• 10/2014 – 01/2015         Graduate seminar (HS) “Concepts”                                   
• 04/2008 – 07/2008         Tutorial “Theoretical Philosophy”

Scholarships and Awards

• 06/2016                            Poster price, Conference of the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness
• 02/2014 – 09/2016         PhD scholarship by Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes
• 10/2013 – 01/2014         PhD scholarship by Berlin School of Mind and Brain
• 07/2013                            Price for Best Graduates of M.A. Philosophy, Institut of Philosphy, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin
• 04/2013 – 09/2013         Research Tracks Scholarship by Humboldt Universität zu Berlin
• 02/2007 – 07/2012         Scholarship for undergraduate students by Evangelisches Studienwerk Villigst e.V.