Derek;

I understand your explicit attempts at a middle-position from previous posts, and from other forums...
And, I admire your attitude, at least for its apparent openness to refutation.

Brain info does not come from philosophy, so far as I can tell.
Even 'experimental philosophy' is merely the creative application of neuroscience, which itself is only a branch of applied physics, or more properly understood physical chemistry, and none of this, though correlating brain scans (energized states of glial cells, in the case of MRI), tells us much about consciousness, unless we relegate consciousness to the confines of a single brain, which is the flavor-of-the-physicalist's-day, and over-whelming position in Anal philosophy, and this position by definition not only denies that consciousness is by its nature a shared state (insignificant outside of the conscious community, maybe is a good way to put it, anyways), but also flies in the face of the most interesting results from the neurosciences (see social cognitive neuroscience for starters here...).

I tend to understand this fact of the Western approach from a socio-evolutionary perspective, but I will leave this explanation for another day...

Allow me to make the following strong claims, with the hopes that either you will challenge them directly or agree with them with substantial comment:
1) Anal philosophy does not tell us anything about consciousness, unless we are content with being wrong.
2) "Self" is different from "self."
3) The study of consciousness is essentially an ethical inquiry.
4) There is and will never be a philosopher of lasting note to arise within the Analytic "tradition."
5) Analytic philosophy is sophistry.
6) Reductionism inspires small-minded persons with limited experience.
7) Continental philosophy requires 3 things that most Anglo-philosophiles lack: literacy, a sense of history, a capacity for synthesis.
8) The current state of political affairs in the Anglo-West (budding totalitarianism in the guise of theo-fascism) is due to the fact that Anglo-philosophiles have dropped the ethical ball, that is they have not and are not doing their jobs as Philosophers.
9) Furthermore, this totalitarianism will continue, and result in civil/world war (by design) until and unless Philosophers arise from the ranks of Western-philosophiles and retake the helm of social transformation.
10) In the end, the Anal tradition shirks this responsibility, while the Cont tradition still allows for it.

Finally, I appreciate the fact that you have the courage to reply, and to engage me on these matters.
I was heavy-handed with you.
Purposefully.
And, I hope that in the end this strategy will be effective in moving us, and our discourse, along...

Yours, ready to be refuted,
Jeff