The Engine of Reason, the Seat of the Soul (World Philosophers and Their Works)
At a glance:
- Author: Paul M. Churchland
- First Published: 1995
- Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy, Science and technology
- Subjects: Philosophy or philosophers, Science or scientists, Religion, Ethics, Computers, Artificial intelligence, Brain, Empiricism
Context
In the seventeenth century, French philosopher René Descartes argued that humans have an immaterial mind (also called “soul” or “self” or “spirit”) over and above the material brain. This position is known as mind- body dualism. The mind is the origin of thought (“the engine of reason”) as well as “the seat of the soul.” For Descartes, the mind causally interacts with the brain, although this interaction is difficult to explain. Modern dualists have not been successful either, and this problem has led many philosophers, psychologists, and cognitive...
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