scholarly journals The Soul and Personal Identity. Derek Parfit’s Arguments in the Substance Dualist Perspective

Perichoresis ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 3-23
Author(s):  
Dmytro Sepetyi
Keyword(s):  
Personal Identity ◽  
Human Life ◽  
The Body ◽  
Psychological Profile ◽  
Temporal Continuity ◽  
Brain Theory ◽  
Body Theory ◽  
Humean Theory ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Humean View

AbstractThis paper re-evaluates Derek Parfit’s attack on the commonly held view that personal identity is necessarily determinate and that it is what matters. In the first part we first argue against the Humean view of personal identity; secondly, we classify the remaining alternatives into three kinds: the body theory and the brain theory, the quasi-Humean theory, and the soul theory, and thirdly we deploy Parfit’s arguments and related considerations to the point that none of the materialistic alternatives is consistent with the commonly held view. This leaves us with the alternative: either we accept the radical and highly implausible materialistic view Parfit calls ‘Reductionism’, or we accept the view that we are nonphysical indivisible entities—Cartesian egos, or souls. The second part of the paper discusses Parfit’s objections against the Cartesian view: that there is no reason to believe in the existence of such nonphysical entities; that if such entities exist, there is no evidence that they are enduring (to span a human life); that even if they exist and are enduring, they are irrelevant for the psychological profile and temporal continuity of a person; that experiments with ‘brain-splitted’ patients provide strong evidence against the Cartesian view. We argue that these objections are in part mistaken, and that the remaining (sound) part is not strong enough to make the Cartesian view less plausible than Reductionism.

scholarly journals A global framework for a systemic view of brain modeling

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederic Alexandre
Keyword(s):  
Instrumental Conditioning ◽  
The Body ◽  
Posterior Cortex ◽  
Reciprocal Relationships ◽  
Brain Modeling ◽  
Brain Theory ◽  
Habitual Behavior ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Specific Contribution

AbstractThe brain is a complex system, due to the heterogeneity of its structure, the diversity of the functions in which it participates and to its reciprocal relationships with the body and the environment. A systemic description of the brain is presented here, as a contribution to developing a brain theory and as a general framework where specific models in computational neuroscience can be integrated and associated with global information flows and cognitive functions. In an enactive view, this framework integrates the fundamental organization of the brain in sensorimotor loops with the internal and the external worlds, answering four fundamental questions (what, why, where and how). Our survival-oriented definition of behavior gives a prominent role to pavlovian and instrumental conditioning, augmented during phylogeny by the specific contribution of other kinds of learning, related to semantic memory in the posterior cortex, episodic memory in the hippocampus and working memory in the frontal cortex. This framework highlights that responses can be prepared in different ways, from pavlovian reflexes and habitual behavior to deliberations for goal-directed planning and reasoning, and explains that these different kinds of responses coexist, collaborate and compete for the control of behavior. It also lays emphasis on the fact that cognition can be described as a dynamical system of interacting memories, some acting to provide information to others, to replace them when they are not efficient enough, or to help for their improvement. Describing the brain as an architecture of learning systems has also strong implications in Machine Learning. Our biologically informed view of pavlovian and instrumental conditioning can be very precious to revisit classical Reinforcement Learning and provide a basis to ensure really autonomous learning.

scholarly journals HEALTH MEET - MUSIC

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1SE) ◽  
pp. 1-2
Author(s):  
Monisha Veeravani
Keyword(s):  
Music Therapy ◽  
Human Life ◽  
High Stress ◽  
The Body ◽  
Special Importance ◽  
Entire Body ◽  
Sound Waves ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Mind ◽  
The Brain

Music gives people a deeper understanding on the level of sensation and motivates them to become better and this element can change the world when it is wider than our own. It is music that connects the beginning to the end and becomes the literature of our heart. Fills the soul with affection, takes the mind from deep darkness to eternal heights. Music has the status of a® God, so purity has special importance in this genre. Music is the way to cultivate the mind through the seven pure and five vocal cords. Therefore, it can be said that music is necessary to keep the body and mind healthy, cheerful. This keeps the body, mind and brain healthy, and concentrates. Stress is also removed from music. It has been proved by various scientific experiments that both music practice and yoga practice develop strength in human life and many diseases can be treated. Music therapy i.e. music therapy nowadays plays an important role in relieving many health problems. Is playing If you live under high stress or are suffering from insomnia problem, then you can take help of this therapy. Each sound produces specific waves. These sound waves directly affect our brain. Everything in existence is affected by these waves. If a music is composed with the right words and the appropriate ragas, it will work on our brain in the same way that the software works inside a computer. Since our entire body is under the control of the brain, we can get the right result by having the expected effect on the brain through remedial music. संगीत लोगों को संवेदना के स्तर पर एक गहरी समझ देकर उन्हें बेहतर बनने की दिशा में प्रेरित करता है और यही तत्व जब निज से व्यापक होता है तो दुनिया भी बदल सकती है. ये संगीत ही है जो आदि को अंत से जोडकर हमारे हृदय का साहित्य बन जाता है। आत्मा को स्नेह से भर देता है मन को गहन अन्धकार से लेकर अनन्त ऊंचाइयों तक ले जाता है । संगीत क® ईश्वर का दर्जा प्राप्त है, इसीलिए इस विधा में शुध्दता का विशेष महत्व है। सात षुघ्द अ©र पांच क®मल स्वर®ं के माध्यम से मन क® साधने का उपाय है संगीत। अतः कहा जा सकता है कि शरीर तथा मन क® स्वस्थ््ा, प्रफुल्लित रखने के लिए संगीत आवश््यक है। इससे शरीर, मन, मस्तिष्क स्वस्थ््ा रहता है, एकाग्र रहता है। संगीत से तनाव भी दूर ह®ता है। विभिन्न वैज्ञानिक प्रयोगों द्वारा यह सिद्ध हो चुका है कि संगीत साधना व योग साधना दोनों से मनुष्य के जीवन में शक्ति का विकास होता है और अनेक बीमारियों का उपचार किया जा सकता है म्यूजिक थेरेपी यानी संगीत चिकित्सा आजकल अनेक स्वास्थ्य समस्याओं से राहत दिलाने में अहम भूमिका निभा रही है। आप अगर ज्यादा तनाव में रहते हैं या अनिद्रा की समस्या से पीडित हैं तो इस चिकित्सा की सहायता ले सकते हैं । हर ध्वनि से विशिष्ट तरंगें पैदा होती हैं। ये ध्वनि तरंगें सीधे हमारे मस्तिष्क को प्रभावित करती हैं। इन्हीं तरंगों से अस्तित्व में मौजूद हर चीज प्रभावित होती है। अगर कोई संगीत सही शब्दों और उपयुक्त रागों के साथ तैयार किया जाए तो वह हमारे मस्तिष्क पर उसी तरह काम करेगा जैसे किसी ’कम्प्यूटर’ के अंदर ’साफ्टवेयर’ काम करता है। चूंकि हमारा पूरा शरीर मस्तिष्क के नियंत्रण में होता है, इसलिए हम मस्तिष्क पर उपचारी संगीत के माध्यम से अपेक्षित प्रभाव डालकर सही परिणाम प्राप्त कर सकते हैं।

scholarly journals Leiblichkeit und personale Identität in der Demenz

2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Fuchs
Keyword(s):  
Personal Identity ◽  
John Locke ◽  
The Body ◽  
Derek Parfit ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Body Memory ◽  
Basic Criterion ◽  
Dementia Patients ◽  
Rational Choices ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Theories of personal identity in the tradition of John Locke and Derek Parfit emphasize the importance of psychological continuity and the abilities to think, to remember and to make rational choices as a basic criterion for personhood. These concepts, however, are situated within a dualistic framework, in which the body is regarded as a mere vehicle of the person, or a carrier of the brain as the organ of mental faculties. Based on the phenomenology of embodiment, this paper elaborates a different approach to personal identity. In this perspective, selfhood is primarily constituted by pre-reflective self-awareness and the body memory of an individual, which consists in the embodiment and enactment of familiar habits, practices and preferences. As can be shown, this understanding of personhood still applies to dementia patients even in the later stages of the disease.

Bodily Theory and Theory of the Body

Philosophy ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 66 (257) ◽  
pp. 339-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Giles
Keyword(s):  
Personal Identity ◽  
Physical Object ◽  
The Body ◽  
Plausible Candidate ◽  
Temporal Continuity ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Over Time

What is it about having a body that might dispose us to think it a plausible candidate for the basis of personal identity? The answer seems plain: the body is a physical object which, as long as it exists, is spatio-temporally continuous throughout the different moments of its existence. In consequence, myself of today can be said to be the same person as myself of twelve years ago so far as my body of today is spatio-temporally continuous with my body of twelve years ago. Exponents of this view are not, of course, denying that over time a person's body will or may undergo various changes; rather they are claiming that so long as these changes occur within a body which maintains a spatio-temporal continuity, then the identity of the person whose body it is will be ensured.

Embodiment and Personal Identity in Dementia

2021 ◽  
pp. 196-216
Author(s):  
Thomas Fuchs
Keyword(s):  
Personal Identity ◽  
John Locke ◽  
The Body ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Severe Dementia ◽  
Psychological Continuity ◽  
Body Memory ◽  
The Status ◽  
Rational Choices ◽  
The Brain

Theories of personal identity in the tradition of John Locke emphasize the importance of psychological continuity and the abilities to think, to remember and to make rational choices as basic criteria for personhood. As a consequence, persons with severe dementia are threatened to lose the status of persons. Such concepts, however, are situated within a dualistic framework, in which the body is regarded as a mere vehicle of the brain as the organ of mental faculties. The chapter elaborates a different approach to personal identity: according to this, selfhood is primarily constituted by pre-reflective self-awareness and the body memory. Dementia is then characterized as a loss of reflexivity and meta-perspective, which is contrasted with the preservation of individual forms of body memory even in the later stages of the illness. The ethical consequences of such an embodied approach to dementia are outlined.

scholarly journals Brain More Resistant to Energy Restriction Than Body: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Sprengell ◽  
Britta Kubera ◽  
Achim Peters
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Caloric Restriction ◽  
High Energy ◽  
The Body ◽  
Energy Concentration ◽  
High Energy Phosphates ◽  
Decision Algorithm ◽  
Brain Theory ◽  
The Brain

The gluco-lipostatic theory and its modern variants assume that blood glucose and energy stores are controlled in closed-loop feedback processes. The Selfish Brain theory is based on the same assumptions, but additionally postulates that the brain, as an independent energy compartment, self-regulates its energy concentration with the highest priority. In some clinical situations these two theories make opposite predictions. To investigate one of these situations, namely caloric restriction, we formulated a hypothesis which, if confirmed, would match the predictions of the Selfish Brain theory—but not those of the gluco-lipostatic theory. Hypothesis: Calorie restriction causes minor mass (energy) changes in the brain as opposed to major changes in the body. We conducted a systematic review of caloric-restriction studies to test whether or not the evaluated studies confirmed this hypothesis. We identified 3,157 records, screened 2,804 works by title or abstract, and analyzed 232 by full text. According to strict selection criteria (set out in our PROSPERO preregistration, complying with PRISMA guidelines, and the pre-defined hypothesis-decision algorithm), 8 papers provided enough information to decide on the hypothesis: In animals, high-energy phosphates were measured by 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance, and organ and total body weights were measured by scales, while in humans organ sizes were determined by magnetic resonance imaging. All 8 decidable papers confirmed the hypothesis, none spoke against it. The evidence presented here clearly shows that the most accurate predictions are possible with a theory that regards the brain as independently self-regulating and as occupying a primary position in a hierarchically organized energy metabolism.

scholarly journals Knowledge, Awareness, Prevalence and Frequency of Daily Physical Activity and Its Association with Stroke in Young Adult Population

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL3) ◽  
pp. 507-513
Author(s):  
Sai Sanjith A ◽  
Karthik Ganesh Mohanraj
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Medical Condition ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
The Body ◽  
Daily Physical Activity ◽  
Medical Emergency ◽  
The Brain

Stroke is a medical condition affecting the brain. It occurs when the blood supply to the brain or part of the brain is stopped or reduced, preventing the brain cells from getting oxygen. As the neurons are the most sensitive cells in the body, they tend to die after cessation of oxygen supply for a very few minutes. Several remedial measures are available for this medical emergency at the time of stroke and even after that. It is believed that the stroke recurs after time and thus preparatory and cautionary steps to be carried out for survival. Among that daily physical activity seems to have a greater positive approach towards stroke survivors. In general, physical activity is an essential part of human life which many people neglect. But it has an underlying significance for human life and healthy well-being. It maintains the body's health condition free of certain diseases too. Thus, this study attempts to analyze the awareness and to knowledge the people about the association between stroke and daily physical activity.

scholarly journals The Effect of Shalat Movement on Cardiorespiratory Fitness in The Elderly

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 84
Author(s):  
Zakiyah Darajat Munthe ◽  
Elman Boy ◽  
Al Furqon
Keyword(s):  
Cardiorespiratory Fitness ◽  
Blood Circulation ◽  
Human Life ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
The Body ◽  
English Studies ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
Cardiorespiratory System ◽  
Physical Level ◽  
The Brain

Introduction: An elderly is a stage of human development after adulthood and the last period of the human life cycle. As a person gets older, the disability increases in activities of daily life as a result of decreasing physical level. The aging process shows physiological, cognitive and psychological changes in the human body. Decreased components of fitness, such as muscle strength, balance and the cardiorespiratory system affect the development of disabilities. Therefore, in Islam there is prayer service, which can be an effort to improve the cardiorespiratory fitness of the elderly. Where, with prayer, it can become a sports medium that is both physical and spiritual.Aims: To determine the effect of movement on cardiorespiratory fitness in the elderly. Research method: This type of literature study is a literature review.Method: the method used in writing this article is English studies relevant to the topic was carried out using the PubMed, Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar databases, restricted from 2010 to 2020. The keywords used in the article search were elderly, prayer movement and cardiorespiratory fitness.Results: The effect of prayer movement on cardiorespiratory fitness is that it can improve blood circulation from the heart to the rest of the body, increase blood flow to the brain and increase lung elasticity.Conclusion: There is a significant effect of prayer movement on the increase in cardiorespiration of the elderly.

scholarly journals Embodiment and personal identity in dementia

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 665-676
Author(s):  
Thomas Fuchs
Keyword(s):  
Personal Identity ◽  
John Locke ◽  
The Body ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Severe Dementia ◽  
Body Memory ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Status ◽  
Rational Choices ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Theories of personal identity in the tradition of John Locke and Derek Parfit emphasize the importance of psychological continuity and the abilities to think, to remember and to make rational choices as a basic criterion for personhood. As a consequence, persons with severe dementia are threatened to lose the status of persons. Such concepts, however, are situated within a dualistic framework, in which the body is regarded as a mere vehicle of the person, or a carrier of the brain as the organ of mental faculties. Based on the phenomenology of embodiment, this paper elaborates a different approach to personal identity in dementia. In this perspective, selfhood is primarily constituted by pre-reflective self-awareness and the body memory of an individual, which consists in the embodiment and enactment of familiar habits, practices and preferences. After describing the different types of body memory, the paper develops a phenomenology of dementia as a loss of reflexivity and meta-perspective. This is contrasted with the preservation of individual forms of body memory even in the later stages of the illness. The ethical consequences of an embodied approach to dementia are outlined. A final look is given to narrativistic and constructionist concepts of the self in dementia.

scholarly journals Brain Mass (Energy) Resistant to Hyperglycaemic Oversupply: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Sprengell ◽  
Britta Kubera ◽  
Achim Peters
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Content ◽  
The Body ◽  
Mass Energy ◽  
Primary Position ◽  
Brain Mass ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Brain Theory ◽  
The Brain

Cerebral energy supply is determined by the energy content of the blood. Accordingly, the brain is undersupplied during hypoglycaemia. Whether or not there is an additional cerebral energy demand that depends upon the energy content of the brain is considered differently in two opposing theoretical approaches. The Selfish-Brain theory postulates that the brain actively demands energy from the body when needed, while long-held theories, the gluco-lipostatic theory and its variants, deny such active brain involvement and view the brain as purely passively supplied. Here we put the competing theories to the test. We conducted a systematic review of a condition in which the rival theories make opposite predictions, i.e., experimental T1DM. The Selfish-Brain theory predicts that induction of experimental type 1 diabetes causes minor mass (energy) changes in the brain as opposed to major glucose changes in the blood. This prediction becomes our hypothesis to be tested here. A total of 608 works were screened by title and abstract, and 64 were analysed in full text. According to strict selection criteria defined in our PROSPERO preannouncement and complying with PRISMA guidelines, 18 studies met all inclusion criteria. Thirteen studies provided sufficient data to test our hypothesis. The 13 evaluable studies (15 experiments) showed that the diabetic groups had blood glucose concentrations that differed from controls by +294 ± 96% (mean ± standard deviation) and brain mass (energy) that differed from controls by −4 ± 13%, such that blood changes were an order of magnitude greater than brain changes (T = 11.5, df = 14, p < 0.001). This finding confirms not only our hypothesis but also the prediction of the Selfish-Brain theory, while the predictions of the gluco-lipostatic theory and its variants were violated. The current paper completes a three-part series of systematic reviews, the two previous papers deal with a distal and a proximal bottleneck in the cerebral brain supply, i.e., caloric restriction and cerebral artery occlusion. All three papers demonstrate that accurate predictions are only possible if one regards the brain as an organ that regulates its energy concentrations independently and occupies a primary position in a hierarchically organised energy metabolism.Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=156816, PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42020156816.

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