In this fascinating book, William R. Uttal raises the possibility that, however much we learn about the anatomy and physiology of the brain and psychology, we may never be able to cross the final bridge explaining how the mind is produced by the brain. Three main classes of mind-brain theory are considered and rejected: field theories, because they are based on a superficial analogy; single cell theories, because they emerge from a massive uncontrolled experimental program; and neural net theories, because they are constrained by combinatorial complexity. To support his argument, Uttal explores the empirical and conceptual foundations of these theoretical approaches and identifies flaws in their fundamental logic. The author concludes that the problems preventing solution of the mind-brain problem are intractable, yet well within the confines of natural science.
Consciousness is a state of being aware - of our self, of our surroundings, of our place in those surroundings. Yet what makes us conscious? What neural processes drive our...
In this book, William R. Uttal continues his analysis and critique of theories of mind.
This is close to the proposal of cognitive scientists Gilles Fauconnier and Mark Turner in a recent book, The Way We Think (Fauconnier & Turner 2003). Whatever combination of biological and cultural evolution gave rise to early human ...
This book brings together an international group of neuroscientists and philosophers who are investigating how the content of subjective experience is correlated with events in the brain.
This book, a companion to William R. Uttal’s earlier work on macrotheories theories of mind-brain relationships, reviews another set of theories—those based on microneuronal measurements.
To fully understand and unveil the mystery of consciousness inside the brain we require examination of the concept of neural basis of conscious mind.This book provides a systematic exploration of consciousness and gives an overview of ...
This insightful text features sophisticated theories that goes beyond correlational inferences and neural mapping, and will be of interest to students and researchers of consciousness, particularly those interested in interpreting neural ...
The articles in this special issue use a wide range of techniques and subject populations to address fundamental questions about the cognitive and neural structure of theory of mind.
The investigation of the cortical structure of stimulus-response pathways is the central subject of this book.
Already the subject of considerable pre-publication discussion, this magisterial work by one of the nation's leading neuroscientists presents a radically new view of the function of the brain and nervous...