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1、Cult.Brain(2013)1(2–4):77–99DOI10.1007/s40167-013-0008-yORIGINALARTICLEWhatisculture?Cultureiscontext-dependence!GeorgNorthoffAccepted:22July2013/Publishedonline:16August2013ÓSpringer-VerlagBerlinHeidelberg2013AbstractWhatisculture?Theconceptofculturehasbeendefinedindifferentwa
2、ysandterms.Iheretakeadifferentapproachanddeterminetheconceptofcultureasonespecificinstancethemoregeneralfeatureofcontext-dependence.Theconceptofcontextishereunderstoodinawiderwaythatincludesdifferentkindsofcontexts,social,cultural,mental,andbodily.Cultureisthenonespecificinstanc
3、eofcontext-dependence.WhatexactlydoImeanbytheconceptof‘dependence’?FollowingthephilosopherSusanHurely,therearedifferentformsofcontext-dependenceinstru-mentalandnon-instrumental.Instrumentaldependencedescribestheindirectdependenceforinstancemotorfunctionsontheenvironmentviathes
4、ensoryfunc-tions.Non-instrumentalcontext-dependencereferstoamoredirectdependenceofthemotorfunctionsthemselvesonthecontextindependentofthesensoryfunctions.Inowpostulatethatsuchnon-instrumentalcontext-dependencecanalsobeobservedinthebrainthatencodesitsneuralactivityindirectdepen
5、denceonitsrespectivecontext.Thisisillustratedbythreeexamples,reward,interoception,andsocialself.Suchdirectorbetternon-instrumentalcontext-dependenceofthebrain’sneuralactivityispossibleonlyiftheneuralactivityisencodedinaparticularwayintermsofdifferencesbetweendifferentstimulira
6、therthansinglestimulithemselves;thisamountstowhatIdescribeasdifference-basedcodingasdistinguishedfromstim-ulus-basedcoding.Doesthisentailculturalcontext-dependence?Thisisillustratedbyafourthexamplefromdepressionasapsychiatricdisorder.Inconclusion,Ihereadvocatetheviewthatcultur
7、ecanbedeterminedbydirectornon-instrumentalcontext-dependencewhichIpostulatetobemediatedbyaparticularencodingstrategyofthebrain,thatis,difference-basedcoding.G.Northoff(&)Mind,BrainImagingandNeuroethicsResearchUnit,RoyalOttawaMentalHealthCentre,UniversityofOttawaInstituteofMent
8、alHealthResearch,1145CarlingAvenue,Rm.6435,Ottawa,ONK1Z7K4,Ca
