Can neuroscience alone explain who we are? Or do we need philosophy, context, and lived experience to even begin answering that question?
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Today’s guest is Georg Northoff, a neuroscientist, psychiatrist, and philosopher who holds the Canada Research Chair for Mind, Brain Imaging, and Neuroethics at the University of Ottawa. His work bridges neuroscience and philosophy, with a focus on consciousness, selfhood, and the brain’s relationship to the world. Through his research, Georg challenges reductionist views of the mind and argues that self and consciousness cannot be fully understood by looking at neurons in isolation.

In this episode, we explore Georg’s idea that the self is not just located in the brain but emerges in relation to the body, the environment, and time. We talk about the limits of neuroscience when it tries to answer existential questions and how combining philosophy with brain science offers a richer picture of human experience. Our conversation moves from the search for the “neural correlates” of consciousness to the importance of context—how our sense of self is shaped by history, culture, and relationships.

This discussion matters because it asks us to rethink what it means to be human in a world where science often promises definitive answers. Georg suggests that the real work may not be finding one final explanation of the self, but learning how to live with complexity and embrace the connections that make us who we are.