The relation between body and mind is the source of disputation of dualism and monism among philosophers. The supporters of dualism believe that the body and mind are separate and opposite. Also, the body is…
Carr introduces the argument for neurological flexibility with the tangible effects noted by Nietzsche, where the use of the mechanical typewriter changed Nietzsche's writing style and choice of words. Following Nietzsche, Carr discusses the conceptualization of neurological flexibility through the examples of Freud, J.Z. Young, and William James. Freud, J.Z. Young, and William James, each theorized a brain which could be changed, in time periods when such theories were absurd. Carr then writes on minor stories where adaptations occur physically with Bernstein, and neurologically in musicians. Lastly, Carr writes on various scientific experiences, from nerve adaptations, to brain matter transformations, all detailing changes within the brain or nervous system as a result of the environment. After the chapter, Carr digresses and explicitly states his view of how our brains are constantly changing based on our actions, surroundings, and thoughts without regards to whether or not we approve or know of the changes occurring.…
Descartes argues the mind is seperate from the physical body. With advances in nueroscience and the contious brain injuries gives strong evidence in supporting materialism. Defining what Cartesian dualists mean by the brain, mind, body and soul, an argument by Cartesians dualists may be reached. Responding to evidence confronting brain injuries from claims that the brain is only ‘an instrument of the soul’. Concluding there is a simultaneous support for materialism resulting from neuroscience and the Cartesian dualism argument, may be wrong.…
Rene Descartes was a brilliant thinker, philosopher, scientist, physiologist, and early psychologist whose theory of mind-body connection has become an integral part of modern medicine (Goodwin, 2008). His dualist view, asserted the mind was ethereal and autonomous in relation to the physical and strictly material body, and to account for their interaction, he proposed the pineal gland was where the intersection of the two transpired (Goodwin, 2008). He theorized the mechanistic, reflexive nature of certain human behaviors, although his one caveat was that reasoning and thoughts were unique properties of the human soul (Wickens, 2005). Descartes 's work laid some of the fundamental parameters for modern thought in psychology, encouraged further research on the localization of brain function, and promoted further experimental research of the nervous system (Goodwin, 2008).…
For instance, the idea of supervenience can give us an account in terms of relations or dependence, and could be of use as another argument to support a physicalist view. Davidson (1970/202) maintains that: “…mental characteristics are in some sense dependent, or supervenient, on physical characteristics” (p. 119). He makes the significant remark that “Dependence or supervenience of this kind does not entail reducibility” (Davidson, 1970/2002, p.119). However, reduction seems to be is one of the keys points that define physicalism, for example, Papineau (1993) maintains that “physicalism requires reductionism” (p. 2). Nonetheless, so, if the main criterion for physicality is reducibility, how can it be that the mental, although physical, cannot be reduced to physics? If a mental event is identical with a brain event, then reduction could be a valid methodological approach: for instance Place (1956) or Smart (1959) argue that consciousness are process of the brain. However, Putnam (1967), Davidson (1970) and Fodor (1974) present strong arguments against such view. The next section will further discuss the problems of reductionism that encourage non-reductive…
Andy Goldsworthy - Philosophy. (n.d.). University of Cincinnati, UC Blue Ash. Retrieved May 1, 2012, from http://www.ucblueash.edu/artcomm/web/w2005_2006/maria_Goldsworthy/philosophy.html…
Over the detritus of centuries, mental illnesses (such as anxiety, depression and personality disorder) have been a major contentious topic, especially in the medieval times in which religion centered, cultural and traditional influenced people deemed these exhibiting symptoms of psychopathology as demonic possessions (Davey, 2011). It was not until the late 18th and 19th century when its rival, medical science, addressed the mental illnesses fully. It was then when S. Weir Mitchell's treatment of epilepsy and emotional liability with lithium bromide gave rise to medical solutions to mental health problems. His famous treatment aided in the transition of medical treatment from restraints in asylums to m (Davey, 2011)edicine pills and later on to psychological therapies (Schou, 1992). This essay will focus on psychoanalysis and cognitive therapies by first explaining the main principles and then followed by a detailed comparison in between the two. The latter would include both advantages and drawbacks of these methods. Lastly this essay would include an evaluation of the argument shortly followed by a conclusion.…
Grosz looks at ancient philosophical writers such as Plato, Aristotle and Descartes that evidently emphasize ‘ideals based on sexual binaries and hierarchies’ (47). ). Descartes accomplished‘ Dualism’ which regards both the body and the mind as ‘two mutually exclusive and mutually exhaustive, each, inhabiting their own self-contained sphere’ (48) contradicting feminist work. Grosz uses Cartesianism to explain the more modern day contemporary form of thought that first investigates the body in regards to an ‘object used for natural sciences’ (49). The second line of investigation, views the body ‘ in terms of metaphors that construe it as an instrument, tool or machine at the disposal of consciousness’ (50). The last line investigates the ‘body as a signifying medium, a vehicle of expression, a mode of rendering public and communicable what is essentially private’ (51). Grosz recognizes that the notions of the ‘body’ are embodied from not…
The essay will discuss about the mind and brain identity theory. This theory outlines the relationship how human mind and the brain function in attribute to neural brain processes. This theory can be said to be a version of materialism which is a type of state a materialist would consider the consciousness or human mind to be brain processes. All emotions felt by the human mind such as sadness, anger, pain, love can all be said to be merely a physical interpretation of a stimulus and signal of the brain (P. Lloyd, 1953). There has been much debate as to the significance of the mind in comparison to the brain as such that is the mind a mere less side effect of brain processes. At least, whether the mind really has a purpose on the influence of behaviour. However we do speak of the mind and brain as distinct…
Abnormal behaviour was once thought to be caused by supernatural possession; this demonological model of abnormality was especially popular in the Middle Ages. It was not until the 18th century that psychologists began to argue that this behaviour should be treated as an illness and medical techniques could be used to treat it; and so emerged the medical model of abnormality. (Gross & McIlveen, 1996)1 The medical model of abnormal psychology treats mental disorders in the same way as a physical illness. Practitioners of this model believe mental illness to have a physical cause, therefore they treat mental disorders with somatic intervention such as medication, electroconvulsive therapy or in extreme cases, psychosurgery. It is largely believed that biological events have behavioural consequences and behavioural events have biological consequences. (Wickens, 2005)2…
The model opposes the medical model in that whereas the medical model is objective, the sociological model is subjective. Literature in the text gives several examples that show how subjectively a person's behavior is construed or misconstrued in the standard setup. It, however, recognizes the fact that people have different opinions regarding the particular actions or behavior. One example that comes out clearly is that when a woman claims to have talked to Jesus, she may be considered by a section as a saint whereas others may see her as a mentally ill man. The incident shows how the sociological model of mental illness tries to build up its case in the bid to define mental…
The funalmental belief underlying the whole system appears to be that the human body is ugly and that its natural tendency is to debility and disease. Incarcerated in such a body, mn's only hope is to avert these characteristics through the use of the powerful influences of ritual and ceremony. (Miner 471)…
Jane Evans was spending a week at the Crown Point Ward girls camp. She and her friends were laughing and enjoying the crisp night air. They giggled and talked of crushes on boys and gossiped all night about the notorious girls at school. But the fun stopped when a rat bit one of the girls. Screaming, squirming and frightened, they worried and stayed awake for the remainder of the night. Unable to sleep, they decided to go indoors, to avoid another possiable attack. A rationalist would argue that this is a ridiculous reaction to a rat bite, however as a person with an irrational perspective, I plead the contrary and throughtout this essay, will demonstrate why. Through a rationalistic perspecive we observe the mind as active, the emotions passive, and the notion that no material thing can cause an nonmaterial idea; however from the viewpoint of irrationality I will prove that: 1) Emotion is in fact not passive and 2) Intelligence can be created materially.…
The ‘body without organs’ has been subjected to many different literary interpretations as its meaning and form throughout the text is deliberately vague, to contrast with the structured repression of capitalist society. It usually refers to the deeper reality underlying some well-formed whole constructed from fully functioning parts. However, Deleuze and Guattari do essentially emphasise the body without organs as the ideal state for an individual – both physically and mentally –, and ultimately the form that they should aspire to.…
The relationship between mind and body is called materialism, which is the assumption that all behaviour has a physiological basis. This concept was initially developed by a religious man named Rene Descartes, who believed that the "intangible nature of the soul" interacted with our machine like bodies. His idea became interpreted as the relation between the mind and body, known as dualism. Although these two were distinct, they still had an interaction. Almost a hundred years later, La Mettrie, a physician came down with a fever, and noticed that his physical condition affected his mental state as well, known as materialism. He wrote a book arguing that the mind was no different from the soul and was part of the body. His views were strongly disagreed upon with other religious oppositions. The theory that behaviour is associated with physiological structure, was proven by accident, as a doctor, Paul Broca, in an insane asylum noticed that a patient was unable to speak after a head injury. He had executed an autopsy which proved that the cause of the lack of speech was resulted from damage to a specific point in the brain. Localization of function was a term which intended that specific functions are associated with specific areas of the brain. This was the final step which resulted in a turning point of attitude from seeing behaviour as controlled by the soul, to behaviour having a physiological basis.…