Cornelius Borck – författare

In the history of brain research, the prospect of visualizing brain processes has continually awakened great expectations. In this study, Cornelius Borck focuses on a recording technique developed by the German physiologist Hans Berger to register electric brain currents; a technique that was expected to allow the brain to write in its own language, and which would reveal the way the brain worked. Borck traces the numerous contradictory interpretations of electroencephalography, from Berger’s experiments and his publication of the first human EEG in 1929, to its international proliferation and consolidation as a clinical diagnostic method in the mid-twentieth century. Borck's thesis is that the language of the brain takes on specific contours depending on the local investigative cultures, from whose conflicting views emerged a new scientific object: the electric brain.

In the history of brain research, the prospect of visualizing brain processes has continually awakened great expectations. In this study, Cornelius Borck focuses on a recording technique developed by the German physiologist Hans Berger to register electric brain currents; a technique that was expected to allow the brain to write in its own language, and which would reveal the way the brain worked. Borck traces the numerous contradictory interpretations of electroencephalography, from Berger’s experiments and his publication of the first human EEG in 1929, to its international proliferation and consolidation as a clinical diagnostic method in the mid-twentieth century. Borck's thesis is that the language of the brain takes on specific contours depending on the local investigative cultures, from whose conflicting views emerged a new scientific object: the electric brain.

This book highlights and develops a hitherto neglected area of Hans Blumenberg's contributions, i.e., history and philosophy of science. It covers both Blumenberg’s works on the history of ideas and conceptual change, as well as his studies on transformative periods and his intellectual history of technology. Hans Blumenberg (1920-1996) was one of the leading German philosophers after the Second World War, bridging from the continental tradition of philosophy, conceptual history and metaphorology. This volume, though, explores the methodological instruments that he developed and how we may use them to do history and philosophy of science. In doing so it opens up a new field of research and provides insight into further developing a continental history and philosophy of science, making this book of great interest to both historians and philosophers alike.

This book highlights and develops a hitherto neglected area of Hans Blumenberg's contributions, i.e., history and philosophy of science. It covers both Blumenberg’s works on the history of ideas and conceptual change, as well as his studies on transformative periods and his intellectual history of technology. Hans Blumenberg (1920-1996) was one of the leading German philosophers after the Second World War, bridging from the continental tradition of philosophy, conceptual history and metaphorology. This volume, though, explores the methodological instruments that he developed and how we may use them to do history and philosophy of science. In doing so it opens up a new field of research and provides insight into further developing a continental history and philosophy of science, making this book of great interest to both historians and philosophers alike.

Die Visualisierung von Gehirnprozessen hat in der Geschichte der Hirnforschung regelmäßig große Erwartungen geweckt. Cornelius Borck stellt mit der Registrierung elektrischer Hirnströme eine Aufzeichnungstechnik ins Zentrum seiner Untersuchung, mit der sich seinerzeit die Hoffnung verknüpfte, das Gehirn in seiner eigenen Sprache schreiben zu lassen und so seine Funktionsweise lesbar zu machen. Er verfolgt die vielfach widersprüchlichen Deutungen zur Elektroenzephalographie von den Versuchen des deutschen Psychiaters Hans Berger und seiner Veröffentlichung eines menschlichen EEG im Jahr 1929 bis zu ihrer internationalen Ausbreitung und Konsolidierung als klinische Diagnosemethode in der Mitte des 20sten Jahrhunderts. Borcks These lautet, daß die Schrift des Gehirns in lokalen Forschungskulturen je spezifische Konturen annahm, aus deren Widerstreit ein neues wissenschaftliches Objekt, das elektrische Gehirn hervortrat. Wenn sich in Borcks Analyse Differenzen und Divergenzen in der Hirnforschung als Effekte lokaler Interaktionen verschiedener Akteure erschließen, liefert er damit zugleich einen Beleg für die kulturelle Formbarkeit des Gehirns. Das elektrische Gehirn ist in einem historisch präzisierbaren Sinne erst das Produkt seiner elektrotechnischen Erforschung. Das Wissen vom Gehirn und Theorien über dessen Funktionieren sind von den Maschinen geprägt, denen sich dieses Wissen verdankt. Es stellt sich deshalb vielmehr die Frage, was sich eigentlich darin manifestiert, daß sich die erhobenen EEG-Befunde immer wieder den vorgelegten Theorien und Deutungen entzogen.