Philosophy and the mind/body problem

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Fucky McFuckerson

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#1
May 9, 2002
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#1
So im bascially taking a philosphy class, cleverly disguised as "a history of psychology" class, and i am alreayd completely lost here. The first thing we get to tackle is the mind-body problem, in where the mind is a separate entity from the actual brain. Among dualism, there is about 50 other "isms" that are all take-offs of philosophical views of mind and body.

Does anyone have an input on this subject? Maybe some articles they can recommend (yes, i googled, and found a few things)? I have bascially started with Wikipedia to at least find some ground work, but just rifling through all of the related articles is mind-numbing. Any help would be appreciated.

I found that a number of these philosophies have roots in spirits, a soul, and in god...not all, but a some.
 
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Fucky McFuckerson

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May 9, 2002
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SeriouslyThug said:
first, do you see any distinction between the mind and the individual that is you?
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I guess that is the ultimate question that these philosphies ask..and to be honest, i have no clue. I am trying to look at this from a logical and practical, objective view...but i cant seem to.

ThaG said:
that kind of philosophy is bullshit, don't waste your time with it
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It doesnt matter what you or I think about this subject, i have to take it in order to progress in school.
 
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RedStorm

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May 15, 2002
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I don't have anything to add to the topic itself, but you might want to look at the bibliographies of the articles you've read and track down the primary sources. It will also give you an idea about who are the names to pay attention to and that will ease your search for articles and whatnot. I'm assuming your school has access to journals and whatnot, but if they don't PM me and I can probably give you some links.
 
JoMoDo

JoMoDo

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Jul 10, 2002
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Ever read any Carlos Castaneda? Might be able to extract something from 'Journey to Ixtlan' depending on how creative you're trying to get. If not, it's still a magnificent read.
 
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Fucky McFuckerson

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May 9, 2002
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SeriouslyThug said:
are you always changing or has your mind been the thing thats changed?
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That depends on what is considered "you". As the philosophy goes, the mind and body are two separate entities. A materialist would say that mind and body are one in the same; therefore, if the mind has changed, so has the body.

Dhadnot said:
descartes
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Yes, he is the whole reason we are studying this. He is in our text and he will be used as the primary "subject" (or at least his philosophy) of my paper.
 
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Fucky McFuckerson

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#17
May 9, 2002
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2-0-Sixx said:
co-sign. How the fuck is the mind a separate entity from the actual brain? Where is it located in your foot? Type of bullshit is that? Ok, so if I stab you in a section of your brain may it not alter your moods/behavior/thoughts/etc.?
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You have to understand, body-mind philosophies stem from a religous belief...even though some of Descartes writings would have been considered blasphemy in those times. The mind being an extension of the body puts into perspective the thought that a "soul" does indeed exist.

The reason this philosphy still is in modern day discussion by not only psychologist, but by sceintists as well, is becuase there is no clear-cut answer to the brains entire funcion yet. The argument is that if millions of neurons are firing, what is MAKING them fire? Some force of energy has to make synapses transfer info from one to the another...just like the "pool ball" effect.

The brain is still a huge mystery to the scientific world in many aspects, so philosophies and theories are going to not only be examined from all time periods (Aristotle is still regarded as a authority on the brain), but new ones as well. It has been said that there will have to be another Einstein or Frick to really decipher what the brain can fully do and how it fully works...

That isnt to say that i necassarily agree that the mind is an extension of the brain. I feel that materialism is still true: the only thing that can be truly proven to exist is matter.
 
ColdBlooded

ColdBlooded

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Apr 25, 2002
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I Pukokeki Ioulo Momu said:
LOL...for the same reasons i do? Or is there something else there that makes you want to travel back in time and punch him in the dick?
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Probably.

I think everyone I know, who hates him, hates him for reasons we can all agree on. But we all have our own personal reasons that are unique to each of us.

I hated him first in math class. Then I learned to hate him in philosophy class.


I think therefore I am therefore god exists. :rolleyes: Whatever man.
 
HERESY

HERESY

THE HIDDEN HAND...
#19
Apr 25, 2002
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www.godscalamity.com
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#19
IMHO, you should have taken a basic psych course before taking this one. What exactly are you asking?

In other news, and this is even more important than the news about Gaza, I have Creme Savers in my pocket, but these aren't just any Creme Savers. These are Creme Savers that came from a law office I vistited yesterday, but what makes them so special and not just any Creme Saver? The fact they came from a law office? The fact I grabbed a handful before I left the law office? The fact I put them in my pocket yesterday and put them in my pocket today? The fact they are Strawberry flavored and I should have mentioned this earlier?

I truly don't know, and don't even know why I typed all of this.
 
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