Soviet and Russian philosopher of mind whose concept of subjective reality set off the 1968 brain–mind debate with Ilyenkov
Born in 1929 at Orikhiv in Ukraine, he fought in the war, graduated in philosophy from Kiev University and taught at the Donetsk Medical Institute while studying the reflective activity of the brain. In 1968 his article 'Brain and Mind' in Voprosy filosofii criticised Felix Mikhailov, who had dismissed the mind–brain relation as a pseudo-problem, and Evald Ilyenkov, who had backed him. He argued that research should ask through what 'neurodynamic code' of the brain subjective phenomena are realised, and challenged the denial of any genetic part in personality. Ilyenkov answered with 'Mind and Brain', and the exchange became the best-known Soviet debate over the ideal and consciousness. Professor at Moscow University from 1971 and at the Institute of Philosophy from 1988, he developed the concept of subjective reality.
Also known as: David Dubrovskii
Activities and affiliations
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1957–1970
Soviet Union state institutionsPhilosophy department, Donetsk Medical Institute
Scholarship and theory -
1971–1987
Soviet Union state institutionsProfessor in the philosophy faculty, Moscow UniversityMain
Scholarship and theory -
1987–1991
Soviet Union state institutionsLeading researcher, USSR Academy of Sciences institutes
Scholarship and theory -
1992–
Russian Federation state institutionsLeading researcher, Institute of Philosophy, Russian Academy of Sciences
Scholarship and theory
Career Timeline
- 1952–1957Schoolteacher in Donetsk
- 1957–1970Philosophy department, Donetsk Medical Institute
- 1962Candidate degree (reflective activity of the brain)
- 1968"Brain and Mind"; the debate with Ilyenkov
- 1969Doctorate (philosophical analysis of the psychophysiological problem)
- 1971–1987Professor in the philosophy faculty, Moscow University
- 1987–1988Leading researcher, Institute of the History of Science and Technology
- 1988Leading researcher, Institute of Philosophy