Cogito Ergo Sum

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Norwich12

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I am an orthopedic surgeon. Before that training almost a half of a century ago,
I was a neurosurgery resident for 2 years at UVA.

My question: IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BRAIN AND THE MIND?

Thank you.
EC
 
Norwich12 said:
I am an orthopedic surgeon. Before that training almost a half of a century ago,
I was a neurosurgery resident for 2 years at UVA.

My question: IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BRAIN AND THE MIND?

Thank you.
EC
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Great question.

The brain is a material organ that surgeons can dissect, whereas surgeons cannot dissect the mind. While the mind depends on the brain to function, it’s unclear how the brain can by itself be the depository of love, sorrow, guilt, virtue, and sin. It’s unclear, for example, how a surgeon can remove a man’s sins from his brain, though he might be able to remove his ability to sin with a lobotomy.
 
Norwich12 said:
I am an orthopedic surgeon. Before that training almost a half of a century ago,
I was a neurosurgery resident for 2 years at UVA.

My question: IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BRAIN AND THE MIND?

Thank you.
EC
Click to expand...
It’s like asking if there is a difference between a car and driving.
 
Norwich12 said:
I am an orthopedic surgeon. Before that training almost a half of a century ago,
I was a neurosurgery resident for 2 years at UVA.

My question: IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BRAIN AND THE MIND?

Thank you.
EC
Click to expand...
Yes. The mind is composed of both physical and spiritual components. The brain, by itself, lacks the higher functions of the intellect (the agent intellect and the possible intellect) and the will. The passive intellect is material, though, so that’s part of the brain.
 
Norwich12 said:
I am an orthopedic surgeon. Before that training almost a half of a century ago,
I was a neurosurgery resident for 2 years at UVA.

My question: IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BRAIN AND THE MIND?
Click to expand...
Well there is a big debate on that question so I’ll give some of the major supporting points from each side:
  1. The brain controls/affects the mind
  2. Certain properties of the mind are not properties of the brain
Point 1 is supported by the large amount of evidence from neuroscience. Point 2 is supported by logic, for instance, a mental image of a green apple is not the same as the electrochemical processes that gave rise to the image. We would not describe any part of the brain or electricity as being an apple or green, but we would attribute those to mental activity, i.e. thoughts.

Factoring in these 2 points, I believe that naturalistic dualism or emergent dualism is the best option to answer your question. It’s basically the view that while the mind is derived from and depends on the brain, but it’s still more than the brain. This is no different than saying that the whole (the mind and its activity) is more than its parts (physical parts of the brain). This is different than substance dualism or Cartesian dualism because under my view the mind is not a separate entity but rather it is an emergent property.
 
How about: the brain encompasses the physical aspect of being and the mind encompasses the metaphysical aspect of being. Those are two differences.
 
The usual way of saying it is:

the mind is what the brain does.
 
Another question:

Is the mind mainly a property of the brain or of the soul?
 
dshix said:
Both. I don’t know what criteria could be used to determine what “mainly” means in this context.
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Does the mind mainly survive with the soul or does it mainly die with the brain?
 
STT said:
This is odd. How could something be property of two things?
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The word “mind” does not refer to one thing. It refers to a collection of things: intellect, will, imagination.

Some of those things, in turn, are composite, having multiple parts. Some are purely within the soul, and others are in the brain.

Therefore, “mind”, as a broad term, comes about through both the soul and the brain.
 
Charlemagne_III said:
Does the mind mainly survive with the soul or does it mainly die with the brain?
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After death, the soul lacks certain functions, such as the passive intellect, because it is separated from the body. However, God intervenes and gives the soul certain abilities that it would otherwise lack, so that it can do certain functions even without the body.
 
Charlemagne_III said:
Could be if it is a bridge between the physical and the spirit?
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We don’t know how to bridge between mind and body such that to keep mind hidden from third point perspective at the same time make a causal connection between mind and body. That seems odd too.
 
dshix said:
After death, the soul lacks certain functions, such as the passive intellect, because it is separated from the body. However, God intervenes and gives the soul certain abilities that it would otherwise lack, so that it can do certain functions even without the body.
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What is the point of resurrection then?
 
Charlemagne_III said:
Could be if it is a bridge between the physical and the spirit?
Click to expand...
I think the aspect of the mind that leads to most of the debate is ‘consciousness’. Our awareness or consciousness, gives us a sense of separateness from our body. Interestingly, I felt this sense of separation the most when I use to engage in deprivation exercises, like fasting and meditating. I view meditation as a type of sensory deprivation. In those exercises, thoughts and feelings popped into my head uncontrollably, and I felt a strong sense of separateness while watching my bodily reactions to my deprivation while also resisting those reactions.

If there is any spirit world than I honestly believe that consciousness is the bridge between the physical and the spiritual.
 
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