In his 2024 book, Jonathan Birch builds a precautionary framework for the borderlines of
sentience, one that is meant to guide both theoretical reflection and practical action. One of the
book’s great merits is its bottom-up approach, which presents itself as theoretically neutral
regarding the (neuro-)physiological criteria required for sentience. Yet the singular place granted to
midbrain-centric views (e.g., Merker, 2007; Panksepp, 2011; Solms, 2021) and to what Birch calls the
“brainstem rul…
Read moreIn his 2024 book, Jonathan Birch builds a precautionary framework for the borderlines of
sentience, one that is meant to guide both theoretical reflection and practical action. One of the
book’s great merits is its bottom-up approach, which presents itself as theoretically neutral
regarding the (neuro-)physiological criteria required for sentience. Yet the singular place granted to
midbrain-centric views (e.g., Merker, 2007; Panksepp, 2011; Solms, 2021) and to what Birch calls the
“brainstem rule” (Chapter 11) raises questions. What justifies granting it such a central role? What
are its practical and theoretical consequences?
