Philosophy of mind · Philosophy of cognitive science · Applied ethics
Working between the philosophy of mind and cognitive science, I study questions about perception and consciousness, along with the ethical questions raised by progress in neuroscience and the life sciences. At university, I teach courses that build the ability to read, write and argue in English and to think critically.
What is perceptual experience like? How does consciousness relate to information processing in the brain? I approach these questions in the philosophy of mind by setting them against theories from cognitive science, such as predictive processing and the free energy principle.
My recent work asks whether the free energy principle can offer a common framework for understanding both life and mind, and I examine its explanatory power and its limits philosophically, in light of empirical findings. I am also working on whether generative AI can be said to understand language and to think.
I teach mainly in Academic Studies in English (ASE) at Tokyo Metropolitan University, with courses in English writing, discussion and presentation. The aim is less to master English for its own sake than to learn to ask questions, check evidence and think together with others in English.
I also work on teaching critical thinking and on ways to use generative AI when thinking and writing.
Sole-authored book · November 2026 · in Japanese
Philosophizing the Free Energy Principle: Body, Consciousness, and AI
From the “predictive mind” to “predictive life.” An introduction that examines the core and the reach of the free energy principle through both empirical findings and philosophical argument.
Other books include Expected Experiences: The Predictive Mind in an Uncertain World (co-edited, Routledge, 2023) and the Japanese translation of Jakob Hohwy’s The Predictive Mind (supervising translator, Keisō Shobō, 2021).