TagBrian Krouse
Beyond the Physical: Exploring the Nature of the Mind
A recent podcast panel challenged the prevailing materialist assumptions about the mind and explored better accounts of the richness of human consciousness
Mirror Neurons and Consciousness: A Philosophical Perspective
Dr. Miretu Guta criticized the overblown claims about mirror neuronsIn the most recent episode of the Mind Matters News podcast, hosts Brian Krouse and Robert J. Marks chatted with philosopher Dr. Mihretu Guta about the role of mirror neurons in understanding consciousness. Dr. Guta’s chapter in the book Minding the Brain critiques the popular interpretation of these specialized brain cells, which activate both when performing an action and observing others perform it. Mirror neurons, discovered in macaque monkeys, have been linked to empathy, learning, and imitation. However, Dr. Guta emphasized the distinction between correlation and causation. While these neurons activate during certain behaviors, this does not prove they cause those behaviors. He also noted the limits of extending findings from monkey studies to human cognition. Dr. Guta introduced three Read More ›
Minding the Brain: Unraveling the Mystery of Consciousness
Are the mind and brain distinct? What is the connection between our physical brain and our mental thinking? On today’s episode, podcaster Pat Flynn concludes his conversation with the editors of the new book Minding the Brain: Models of the Mind, Information, and Empirical Science. After discussing an overview of the philosophy of mind and the range of physicalist perspectives in previous Read More ›
Minding the Brain: Why Science and Philosophy Need Each Other
Does science have to stay within a materialistic framework? It turns out, materialism itself isn’t science — it’s philosophy. In this episode, Pat Flynn interviews Brian Krouse, Angus Menuge, and Robert J. Marks about alternatives to materialism and how scientific exploration leads us to deeper questions that science alone can never answer. Additional Resources