A total of three researchers belonging to or collaborating with the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) of the University of Navarra are in charge of collecting and reviewing articles for possible publication in a discussion forum in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, a scientific journal of high impact factor and associated with the Nature Publishing Group.

One of the researchers is Jose Ignacio Murillo, director of the project ‘Mind-brain: Biology and Subjectivity in Philosophy and Contemporary Neuroscience'; the other two members of the group are Javier Bernácer, a researcher for the ‘Mind-Brain' project at the University of Navarra, and José Angel Lombo, at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (Italy).

This collection, called "Research Topic" in English, focuses on the current views and aspects of habits. The purpose of this collection is to attempt to bring the philosophical and neuroscience points of view closer together. Its aim is to compare and contrast theoretical and experimental studies as well as to integrate different disciplines into a discussion forum based on this topic. Abstracts will be accepted beginning late September (2103) and the submission deadline is late December 2013.

Initiative of the Frontiers in Human Neuroscience journal

From a neuroscience standpoint, a habit is an automated action, associated with rigidity and limitation. However, from the classical, philosophical point of view, a habit is an ability that is acquired with practice. It facilitates, improves and reinforces the practice of certain actions. According to the experts, the field of neuroscience considers that the acquisition of a habit reduces the action to a simple routine, whereas the philosophical aspect concludes that an acquired habit implies cognitive and emotion enrichment.

It was the journal itself who contacted and  commissioned the researchers of the Institute for Culture and Society to take charge of the ‘Research Topic' section, after having confirmed the large number of visits and downloads of the article, titled 'An Incomplete Theory of the Mind' , written by several members belonging to the Mind-Brain project.