Philosphy of Mind

Philosphy of Mind is a Modern Scholar lecture course by Professor Andrew Pessin. Professor Pessin gives a deep look at the ideas of the mind and how we think about thinking. He starts with the basic conundrum of mind and body. He describes how the mental is fundamentally different from the physical, including qualitative sensations (qualia) and intentionality (thoughts). Part of philosophy of mind is coming to grips with this different and trying to figure out how thoughts can arise out of inert matter.

Descartes addressed the dualism of mind and body by claiming that they are two different substances (substance dualistm), but had no answer for how they interact other than saying the pituitary gland is the locus. A less strong form of dualism says that the mental and physical are the same substance but have different properties. Physicalism (materialism) says that ultimately there is only the physical. Pessin addresses theories the theories of physicalism. Identity theories says that mental states are identical to brain states. Functionalism says that mental states are defined by their functional roles. Behaviorism all but denies that there is anything internal in anyone's mind. All these theories have flaws.

I enjoyed learning about Language of Thought, which compares the syntax of thought with the syntax of spoken language. It does describe how mental processes resemble sentences. I could have used more analysis of this, but it is a good overview. I may study it further. I also enjoyed hearing about Daniel Dennett's concept of the intentional stance, but I think I need to study more about it before I can really understand it. I also appreciate the review of Searle's Chinese Room analogy, which I first read about in Hofstadter's work. Much of late philosophical theories seem to concern denying the reality of the mental, which is counterintuitive since the mental feels more real than the physical. Objective facts and science cannot break the barrier into a person's personal thoughts and experiences.

One of the concepts that I found most appealing is that of epiphenominalism. This states that the mind-body link is basically one way. The body and brain are completely physical and thus physical principles can explain interaction with the world. Mental states are just byproducts of brain states that have the main effect of driving nerve impulses. This also seems counterintuitive, for it feels that our thoughts direct our actions. But given the state of modern neuroscience, it makes a lot of sense. I do wish that the course had included more discoveries of brain science, since it is illuminating and shows that more and more mental states can be explained by chemistry and electrical impulses. However, the course is a great overview of the thinking about thinking over the last few centuries. A-

Descartes' Bones

I received Russell Shorto's Descartes' Bones for Christmas. The full title is Descartes' Bones: A skeletal history of the conflict between faith and reason. And it is just that. Shorto uses the famous philosopher's bones to trace the history not only of the mortal remains but philosophy in general and the impact that the use of reason has had on science and faith.

Descartes died and was buried in Sweden in 1650, but his bones were disinterred in 1666 and sent back to France. His bones were seen as a symbol of the light of reason, but ironically they were also treated as holy relics. In this way Descartes embodied the fusing of ancient or medieval thought with the principles of the Enlightenment, like using reason despite where it took you. But even though Descartes worshiped reason he still maintained the existence of God, and he was joined in other scholars who dared not challenge the church's authority. Instead they used reason to try to prove God's existence.

During the French Revolution the bones were moved from a church to a national museum known as the French Pantheon to join other historical monuments. Yet just a few years after the decree to move the bones, the revolutionary fervor swayed against the philosopher. This is the biggest example of the fact that reason alone can be used or abused for many purposes. The revolution itself, originally formed based on principles of a government formed by its citizens, quickly turned bloody and unreasonable to the extreme.

Shorto gives a good description of how Descartes' ideas spread throughout Europe from the relatively free Netherlands and immediately created controversy. Later, his philosophy would influence great thinkers such as Spinoza and Kant. The influence of reason over religion would grow over the centuries, but there are obviously great conflicts to this day. I was struck by this quote towards the end of the book, by a Christian minister: "The human mind can be led astray. It is no basis for anything without God." This anti-reason attitude is not only prevalent today, it is highly contradictory. The minister is trying to reason away reason itself. He saw no irony in the fact that his own mind is as fallible as any other, more so because he refuses to apply any reason to his preconceived notions.

The author does a great job melding a historical detective story with the development of modern philosophy, while developing the symbolism of the bones: the way Descartes bridges ancient and modern thinking. To add to the symbolism and mystery, his skull was separated from the rest of his bones and has its own fascinating history. A-