Most people agree that the mind is located somewhere inside the person; namely, behind the eyes. Containing hundreds of billions of cells, the three-pound mass of jelly called the brain is considered the place within which the mind resides.
We should then be inclined to say that the mind is the brain. But let me, with the permission of my good friend Kelvin, tell you a story that might challenge this notion.
If I were to take Kelvin's brain out of his head and put it on the table in front of him, he would be dead! But instead, because I am a good friend, I will painstakingly attach each neuron through a system of special extension chords in such a way that allows me to place Kelvin's brain safely on the table in front of him without him dying. (You're welcome buddy.) I am the best surgeon alive in my hypothetical world, so I make sure Kelvin is still awake, ready to answer questions, and in no pain whatsoever after the operation. Where would we now say his mind is? Where would he say it is?
Before going further, I need to introduce a term (real quick) in order to talk about this problem. The term is qualia. Qualia are those things a person experiences from their subjective point of view. The young philosopher will ask the question, "How can we ever know the difference between the Red I see and the red you see?" This very thoughtful question captures the enigma of qualia, for it is the stuff that we experience every moment of our conscious lives (even in dreams). Yet nobody else can ever experience it, and we can never know for certain if other's are experiencing qualia of their own.
Each qualia is correlated with patterned firing of regionally specific neurons in the brain. Put simply, when you smell apple pie in autumn, there are specific locations within your brain dedicated to processing olfactory (smell) inputs like the aroma of cinnamon. The brain organizes and integrates the manifold of sensory experience from the outside world in order to make a cohesive, continuous experience within. Even memories can (theoretically) be traced to patterns of neuronal firings and synaptic pathways within the brain, which is the basic premise of this Jim Carry film. (For the record, I did not cry seven times while watching this movie with my girlfriend and if anybody tells you this happened the're lying).
Ok, now we're ready to ask Kelvin some questions.
"Kelvin, where's your mind located? Is it on the table?"
"No, it's not on the table."
I laugh and say, "Yes it is, I can see it right there," pointing to the brain in front of him.
He pauses for a moment, pensively. Then says, "No, no, no, Travis. You've got it all wrong. My brain is on the table, but my mind is all around me."
I laughed again at my friend's explanation. But after meditating on this for a few days, I realize he might have a point. According to him, qualia is the mind, where as brain is the body. Thus, the mind is all that we experience at any given point in the day, and these experiences can be traced to a three pound sponge in our heads. To him, the two are separate. Though, I still don't think I quite understand, or perhaps I just don't want to. Because, according to this train of reasoning, the conclusion that I'd come to concerning the nature of mind sounds more like a Zen koan than a scientific proposition: the mind is everywhere and yet, nowhere.
This problem is one of blazing concern in the philosophy of mind and there is no 'general consensus' among philosophers about how to tackle it, which makes it one of the most difficult and fascinating problems that humans have ever faced.
Travis: First of all, you do NOT have to worry about your writing having no voice. Good lordy. Your voice in writing is obviously and so very clearly Travis' voice, and I've only just met you. Indeed, you are a voicey writer, so check that off your bucket list. Secondly, I really like the topic of this first post, and I love the playful way you go about cracking open the idea that MIND is other than BRAIN. (I also love that your friend Kelvin and your girlfriend have already played a role in your scholarly blogging.) Yes--the mind is everywhere and nowhere. So, what is the thing here to "crack?' What is the mystery? Defining what the mind is/where it's located?
ReplyDeleteGood question, Dr. Cook. I appreciate the positive vibes, and I'm glad you enjoyed my post. I'll try to answer your question as best I can.
ReplyDeleteThe mystery is that the mind, i.e. one's subjective experience, even tough correlated with neuronal firings in the brain, is something very different from the firings themselves. The code to 'crack' is figuring out what the correlations are, how they work to create consciousness and behavior, and how these 'brain parts' and 'qualia' fit into the scientific, namely, evolutionary perspective, so that we may explore these problems empirically and better understand our place in the grand scheme of things.
I want to study theory of mind and belief. Distinguishing between the mind and brain, or at least, understanding what the problem is, is the first step; and I thought the Anosognosia post was a particularly relevant example of the wonderfully odd mind-brain problem.
Stay tuned!