Tag: Soul (concept)

Sea soul. Abstract marine backgrounds with sun beam and underwater landscape

^{Type
post

News
Date
September 29, 2022

Categorized
Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
J. P. Moreland, Robert Lawrence Kuhn, Soul (concept)}

Why should we believe that the human mind is immortal?

_{Philosopher Moreland: Think of the soul like a chest of drawers and think of the mind and the spirit like two drawers in the chest of drawers} _{News
September 29, 2022

3

Philosophy of Mind}

Philosopher J. P. Moreland offers some thoughts at Closer to Truth (September 14, 2022) J.P. Moreland: (1:49) Think of the soul like a chest of drawers and think of the mind and the spirit like two drawers in the chest of drawers. I am a soul I’m an immaterial substance. Within me are different faculties, different ranges of powers or abilities. My mind is a faculty of the soul. My spirit is a different faculty of the soul. Now, you can’t separate my mind from my soul like you can [separate] the legs of a table and put them in different places. So the legs of a table would be called “separable parts.” They can be separated from the whole Read More ›

^{Type
post

Michael Egnor
Date
May 15, 2022

Categorized
Ethics, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Featured, Soul (concept)}

Must We Be Able To Reason To Be Thought Of As Human Persons?

_{A common argument as to why abortion is generally ethical is that the unborn child cannot reason} _{Michael Egnor
May 15, 2022

6

Ethics, Philosophy of Mind}

Perhaps the most common justification that abortion proponents give for supporting abortion is that the human embryo or fetus isn’t capable of rational thought — and rational thought is the defining characteristic of humanity. They’re wrong in a fundamental way. How they’re wrong is best understood if we look at the metaphysics of human development. Metaphysics is “The branch of philosophy that examines the nature of reality, including the relationship between mind and matter, substance and attribute, fact and value.” (American Heritage Dictionary) The ancient philosopher Aristotle (384–322 BC), who provided an important foundation for science, pointed out that humans are rational animals. That is, we have at least the possibility of rational thought, although at some stages of life Read More ›

^{Type
post

News
Date
November 26, 2021

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Featured, Mark Solms, Michael Egnor, qualia, Soul (concept), Theology Unleashed}

A Neuropsychologist Takes a Crack at Defining Consciousness

_{Frustrated by reprimands for discussing Big Questions in neuroscience, Mark Solms decided to train as a psychoanalyst as well} _{News
November 26, 2021

12

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

Recently, distinguished South African neuropsychologist Mark Solms discussed the real state of brain research with Stonybrook neurosurgeon Michael Egnor at Theology Unleashed (October 22, 2021) In the first portion, Solms, author of The Hidden Spring (2021), began by asserting in his opening statement that “the source of consciousness in the brain is in fact in the brain stem,” not the cerebral cortex, as is almost universally assumed. Dr. Egnor then responded that his clinical experience supports the view that brain is not mind. Then Solms pointed to the reality that discussing the fact that the brain is not the mind can be a career-limiting move in neuroscience — even though clinical experience supports the view. Egnor and Solms agreed that Read More ›

Young blind man with white cane and guide dog sitting in park in city.

^{Type
post

Michael Egnor
Date
April 4, 2021

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Blindsight, Brain Injury, Consciousness, Featured, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Maxwell Bennett, Peter Hacker, Soul (concept)}

The Mystery of Blindsight Helps Us Understand the Mind Better

_{How can a blind person demonstrate awareness of an object in his visual field — and yet not be conscious of it?} _{Michael Egnor
April 4, 2021

8

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

Blindsight is the remarkable ability of some blind people to sense objects that they cannot actually see. It occurs when the blindness is caused by damage to the main part of the brain that processes visual information (the striate cortex). But the eyes themselves are intact. The eyes continue to see (sensation) but nothing is receiving the messages (perception). Or so we would think, except for this: One of the most contentious discussions in philosophy of mind and neuroscience is the nature of perception as opposed to sensation. How can we perceive objects in our environment? On a deeper level, what do we mean by “perception”? In what ways does perception differ from sensation, if at all? The neurobiology of Read More ›

Electrocardiogram in hospital surgery operating emergency room showing patient heart rate with blur team of surgeons background

^{Type
post

Michael Egnor
Date
March 10, 2021

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Brain transplants (partial), Conjoined twins, Featured, Head transplants, metaphysics, Organ transplants, Robert White (head transplants), Soul (concept)}

Are Head Transplants Soul Transplants?

_{Specifically, if your head were transplanted, would your soul go with it?} _{Michael Egnor
March 10, 2021

7

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

Wired offers a fascinating article about Dr. Robert White, a neurosurgeon in the mid-20th century who was famous for his extensive research on head transplants. He transplanted heads of various animals, often unsuccessfully (many animals died) but with some success, particularly with monkeys. The medical, ethical, and sociological issues are interesting in themselves, but I’ll focus here on the metaphysical issues. Specifically, if your head is transplanted, does your soul go with it? First, it worth noting that head transplantation is difficult surgery but doable. We know how to sew blood vessels together, how to fuse spinal bones, how to attach tracheas and muscles and peripheral nerves. Transplantation of an entire head (or an entire body, depending on your perspective) Read More ›

Bottom view of three professional doctors leaning over the patient and wearing medical masks while holding the anesthetic inhaler

^{Type
post

Michael Egnor
Date
February 2, 2021

Categorized
Medicine and Health, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Anesthesia, Consciousness, Featured, Memory, Soul (concept)}

What Is Your Soul Doing When You’re Under Anesthesia?

_{It’s an intriguing and important question and you may be surprised by some of the answers} _{Michael Egnor
February 2, 2021

6

Medicine and Health, Philosophy of Mind}

First, no one should worry about unpleasant awareness during anesthesia. I’ve performed more than 7000 brain operations and I’ve never had a patient experience unpleasant awareness related to anesthesia. It does happen, but it’s rare, and I’ve never seen it. I’ve had general anesthesia myself four times, and as I tell my anesthesiology colleagues, I’m a big fan of anesthesia. Modern anesthesia is safe, highly effective, and indispensable. Don’t be afraid of it. But I do need to tell you that there are scientific facts about anesthesia and awareness that may surprise you. Second, when I use the word “soul,” rather than “mind” or “consciousness,” to describe mental states, I am not using the word in a spooky or New Read More ›