Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!

Reply to comment

Serendip Visitor's picture

philosophical issues and our new knowledge of the brain

I think you are on to something.
I am one of the 'we' who is well-informed in terms of philosophical writings but very ignorant aboiut neuroscientific topics. I am new to this site but will take your word for most of the readers here.
A lot of what were once burning philosophical questions have been laid to rest with the advances in neurosciences and imaging, eg., the existence of the transcendental ego and how children learn to make sense of the world.
However, Aristotle did have a biological concept of the self and anticipated many of the problems and solutions posed by later (and lesser) philosophers. Much can be learned from studying him. I don't think that the neurosciences will ever destroy philosophy but will restructure philosophical investigation in more productive ways. By the way, some of the 'new' matters raised by neuroscientists have been solved quite satisfactorily centuries ago by philosophers.
What we need is something I think you are suggesting. Psychiatry must be willing to awake from its dogmatic slumber and pay heed to Dr. Kandell and others; philosophers and neuroscientist must similarly have dialogues which might be fruital for both.

Reply

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
To prevent automated spam submissions leave this field empty.
1 + 0 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.