CLEA, Free University of Brussels (VUB) Courses

The Origins of Agency, Cognition, and Consciousness

Explore the fundamental concepts of agency, cognition, and consciousness through expert insights from leading researchers in cognitive science and philosophy of mind.

• YouTube
• 55 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Curiosity, Awe and Wonder - The Emotions That Open Our Mind

Explore how curiosity, awe, and wonder shape our understanding of the universe, driving scientific progress and cognitive growth through emotional engagement with vast, mysterious phenomena and infinite potential.

• YouTube
• 2 hours
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Temporality and Thingness - Towards Manyworlding Futures in Anthropology

Explore how algorithmic environments and technological infrastructures reshape human perception of time, space, and reality through ethnographic research at CERN and other scientific institutions.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 57 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

The Playing Mind: Understanding Play as a Mental State

Explore the psychological foundations of play through a groundbreaking framework that examines play as a mental state, connecting games, fiction, and human behavior across different life stages and cultural contexts.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 58 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Cosmograms - Narrating as Worlding in Speculative Fiction

Explore narrative cosmograms through speculative fiction, examining how literary works create holistic world representations and meaning-making systems beyond analytical distinctions and specialization.

• YouTube
• 2 hours 1 minute
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Bracketing and Immersion - Understanding Play Through Phenomenological Perspectives

Explore the philosophical intersection of play, immersion, and consciousness through an engaging discussion on how suspending judgment enables new discoveries in living systems and AI.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 58 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Building Real Worlds: From the Storytelling of Science to the Science of Storytelling

Explore the fascinating intersection of storytelling and scientific worldbuilding, examining how new technologies reshape our understanding of reality, representation, and ontological frameworks.

• YouTube
• 2 hours 1 minute
• On-Demand
• Free Video

The Political Philosophy of Bernard Stiegler - A Revolutionary Guide to the Digital Age

Explore Bernard Stiegler's radical analysis of digital capitalism, technology's role in human development, and his vision for resistance through negentropic strategies and community reformation.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 47 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Going Beyond Techno-Centric Smart Cities with Mindful Smart Cities

Explore a transformative framework for smart cities that integrates mindfulness and technology, emphasizing citizen-centric approaches and systemic change for creating more livable, resilient urban environments.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 43 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Education for Complexity - Transforming Secondary Education for the Noosphere

Explore how secondary education can be transformed into comprehensive training for navigating complexity, preparing young learners to understand and engage with our interconnected world as conscious citizens.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 59 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Edgar Morin's The Method: Introduction to Complex Thinking and Critical Analysis

Delve into Edgar Morin's complex philosophical masterwork 'The Method' through an expert analysis of key concepts like dialogic thinking, recursive loops, and constructivist perspectives on reality and perception.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 40 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Open-Ended Intelligence in the Light of Simondon's Philosophy of Individuation

Explore Simondon's theory of individuation and its implications for understanding open-ended intelligence, generative AI, and the nature of consciousness through physical, biological, and psychic perspectives.

• YouTube
• 2 hours 6 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Using a Myth to Kill a Myth - Cognitive Science and the Myth of the Given in Philosophy of Mind

Delve into philosophical debates around Sellars' "Myth of the Given," exploring cognitive science, mental representation, and the evolution of scientific thinking through expert analysis.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 57 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Why Enactivism Entails the Acceptance of Cultural Relativity

Explore the philosophical intersection of enactivism and cultural relativity, examining how context shapes mind and meaning through detailed analysis of Sapir-Whorf hypothesis and enactive cognition principles.

• YouTube
• 2 hours 1 minute
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Development and Evolution Reconceived - Lessons from Process Ontology

Explore how process ontology revolutionizes our understanding of biological evolution and development, challenging traditional neo-Darwinian views with insights into the dynamic nature of life.

• YouTube
• 2 hours 4 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video