Philosophy Redivivus?

1998 ◽  
pp. 86-92
Author(s):  
Oskar Gruenwald
Keyword(s):  
Modern Science ◽  
Science And Religion ◽  
Scientific Advance ◽  
New Era ◽  
Stephen Hawking ◽  
Late Twentieth ◽  
The Mind ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Science And Faith ◽  
The Brain

Curiously, in the late twentieth century, even agnostic cosmologists like Stephen Hawking—who is often compared with Einstein—pose metascientific questions concerning a Creator and the cosmos, which science per se is unable to answer. Modern science of the brain, e.g. Roger Penrose's Shadows of the Mind (1994), is only beginning to explore the relationship between the brain and the mind-the physiological and the epistemic. Galileo thought that God's two books-Nature and the Word-cannot be in conflict, since both have a common author: God. This entails, inter alia, that science and faith are to two roads to the Creator-God. David Granby recalls that once upon a time, science and religion were perceived as complementary enterprises, with each scientific advance confirming the grandeur of a Superior Intelligence-God. Are we then at the threshold of a new era of fruitful dialogue between science and religion, one that is mediated by philosophy in the classical sense? In this paper I explore this question in greater detail.

scholarly journals Science and Religion in the 21st Century: Buddhist Vector

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 74-79
Author(s):  
Bernyukevich Tatiana V. ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Modern Science ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Science And Religion ◽  
Buddhist Studies ◽  
Dalai Lama ◽  
Global Problems ◽  
Research Problems ◽  
The Mind ◽  
The Relationship

The article analyzes the relationship between Buddhism and science, presented in the works and activities of Buddhist leaders and scholars. The aim of the study is to determine the specifics of the relationship between Buddhism and science, associated with both the peculiarities of the development of modern science and the peculiarities of the religion itself. The study is based on an integrated approach that allows to identify the problem of relations between Buddhism and science at different levels: the doctrinal provisions of Buddhism, the texts of Buddhist leaders and their activities, the analysis of these relations made by representatives of science. One of the phenomena of the dialogue between Buddhism and science is the Mind and Life Institute, created in 1987, initiated by the 14th Dalai Lama, scientist and philosopher Francisco Varela, lawyer and entrepreneur Adam Engle. The creation of this Institute was based on the idea that science is not only a modern source of knowledge but also a critical means of improving the quality of life; this means can be developed by combining it with the wisdom of Buddhist teachings. Interest in the problem of interaction between Buddhism and science has noticeably intensified in the last decade in Russia. It was expressed in the publication of books of Buddhist leaders and scholars on this topic, holding meetings of researchers and Buddhist clergy for discussions on complex topics of knowledge, organizing scientific conferences on the dialogue between Buddhism and science. The intensification of the dialogue between Buddhism and science and its reflection in the research of scientists and the activities of Buddhist organizations are associated with a number of reasons: the search for new effective ways to solve global problems; the actualization of a systematic approach to solving a number of complex research problems (for example, the problem of consciousness); interest in the possibility of synthesizing Buddhist techniques and ideas and scientific approaches as a resource for the development of both Buddhism and science. Keywords: science and religion, Buddhism, Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism, Buddhist studies, Buddhology

Mind, identity theory of

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Identity Theory ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Modern Science ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Ontological Categories ◽  
Great Merit ◽  
The Mind ◽  
The Brain

We know that the brain is intimately connected with mental activity. Indeed, doctors now define death in terms of the cessation of the relevant brain activity. The identity theory of mind holds that the intimate connection is identity: the mind is the brain, or, more precisely, mental states are states of the brain. The theory goes directly against a long tradition according to which mental and material belong to quite distinct ontological categories – the mental being essentially conscious, the material essentially unconscious. This tradition has been bedevilled by the problem of how essentially immaterial states could be caused by the material world, as would happen when we see a tree, and how they could cause material states, as would happen when we decide to make an omelette. A great merit of the identity theory is that it avoids this problem: interaction between mental and material becomes simply interaction between one subset of material states, namely certain states of a sophisticated central nervous system, and other material states. The theory also brings the mind within the scope of modern science. More and more phenomena are turning out to be explicable in the physical terms of modern science: phenomena once explained in terms of spells, possession by devils, Thor’s thunderbolts, and so on, are now explained in more mundane, physical terms. If the identity theory is right, the same goes for the mind. Neuroscience will in time reveal the secrets of the mind in the same general way that the theory of electricity reveals the secrets of lightning. This possibility has received enormous support from advances in computing. We now have at least the glimmerings of an idea of how a purely material or physical system could do some of the things minds can do. Nevertheless, there are many questions to be asked of the identity theory. How could states that seem so different turn out to be one and the same? Would neurophysiologists actually see my thoughts and feelings if they looked at my brain? When we report on our mental states what are we reporting on – our brains?

Moving Further Beyond Secularism: A “Lutheran” Reading of the Cosmology of Thomas Nagel

2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-254
Author(s):  
Yiftach Fehige
Keyword(s):  
Modern Science ◽  
Human Mind ◽  
Christian Theology ◽  
Thomas Nagel ◽  
Metaphysical Theory ◽  
History Of ◽  
Individual Consciousness ◽  
The Mind ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Universe

Summary Thomas Nagel has proposed a highly speculative metaphysical theory to account for the cosmological significance that he claims the human mind to have. Nagel argues that the mind cannot be fully explained by Darwinian evolutionary theory, nor should theological accounts be accepted. What he proposes instead is an explanation in terms of cosmological non-purposive teleological principles. Our universe awakens to itself in each and every individual consciousness. What comes to light in a pronounced manner when consciousness arises, are the mental aspects of the stuff that the universe is made of. These mental aspects are always concurrently present with the physical aspects of the basic elements that constitute the universe. This paper situates Nagel’s cosmology in the context of discussions of the relationship between modern science and Christian theology. It focuses on the history of modern science’s efforts to locate the origins of humanity. The aim of the paper is to present a qualified “Lutheran” reading of Nagel’s theory of the cosmological significance of the human mind. This will unearth strong reasons to think that Nagel’s cosmology is less secular than it claims to be.

scholarly journals Jacques Jean Lhermitte and the syndrome of peduncular hallucinosis

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. E9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Kosty ◽  
Juan Mejia-Munne ◽  
Rimal Dossani ◽  
Amey Savardekar ◽  
Bharat Guthikonda
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Demyelinating Disease ◽  
Historical Review ◽  
Neurosurgical Procedures ◽  
Visual Hallucinations ◽  
Electrical Shock ◽  
Peduncular Hallucinosis ◽  
The Mind ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Brain

Jacques Jean Lhermitte (1877–1959) was among the most accomplished neurologists of the 20th century. In addition to working as a clinician and instructor, he authored more than 800 papers and 16 books on neurology, neuropathology, psychiatry, and mystical phenomena. In addition to the well-known “Lhermitte’s sign,” an electrical shock–like sensation caused by spinal cord irritation in demyelinating disease, Lhermitte was a pioneer in the study of the relationship between the physical substance of the brain and the experience of the mind. A fascinating example of this is the syndrome of peduncular hallucinosis, characterized by vivid visual hallucinations occurring in fully lucid patients. This syndrome, which was initially described as the result of a midbrain insult, also may occur with injury to the thalamus or pons. It has been reported as a presenting symptom of various tumors and as a complication of neurosurgical procedures. Here, the authors review the life of Lhermitte and provide a historical review of the syndrome of peduncular hallucinosis.

scholarly journals DA RELAÇÃO CORPO-ALMA À MENTE-CÉREBRO: A ANTROPOLOGIA CRISTÃ E AS NOVAS ANTROPOLOGIAS

2014 ◽  
Vol 46 (129) ◽  
pp. 215
Author(s):  
Renato Alves De Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Christian Anthropology ◽  
Mind And Brain ◽  
The Mind ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Brain ◽  
The Way

O objetivo deste artigo é mostrar que a questão referente aos dois princípios metafísicos constitutivos da antropologia cristã, o corpo/matéria e a alma/espírito, e a forma de conceber a relação entre eles encontra-se presentes no subsolo das novas antropologias materialistas, mas com um novo verniz através da relação entre a mente e o cérebro. Para a antropologia cristã, a existência do binômio corpo-alma é uma questão resolvida. As discussões se concentram na forma de conceber a relação entre ambos os princípios. Analogamente, para algumas antropologias materialistas atuais, a existência da mente e do cérebro é uma questão fechada. Os confrontos encontram-se na forma de conceber as relações entre a mente e o cérebro: há uma identificação ou distinção entres ambas as realidades? A mente seria uma qualidade emergente do cérebro? ABSTRACT: The purpose of this article is to show that the question concerning the two constituent metaphysical principles of Christian anthropology, body/matter and soul/spirit, and the way of conceiving the relationship between them is presente in the basement of the new materialist anthropologies, but with a new varnish through the relationship between mind and brain. For Christian anthropology, the existence of the binomial soul/body is a settled issue. The discussions focus on how to design the relationship between the two principles. Similarly, for some current materialistic anthropologies, the existence of the mind and the brain is a closed question. The clashes are the way of conceiving the relationship between mind and brain: Is there an identification or a distinction between the two realities? Would be the mind an emergent quality of the brain?

Humility, Free Will Beliefs, and Existential Angst

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Nadelhoffer ◽  
Jennifer Cole Wright
Keyword(s):  
Free Will ◽  
Existential Anxiety ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Mind ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Shed Light

In Chapter 15, Thomas Nadelhoffer and Jennifer Cole Wright investigate the relationship between free will beliefs (or the lack thereof) and existential anxiety. In an attempt to shed light on this relationship, they set out to test whether trait humility can serve as a “buffer” between the two—that is, are people who are high in dispositional humility less likely to experience existential anxiety in the face of skepticism about free will? Given the perspectival and attitudinal nature of humility, Nadelhoffer and Wright predict that humble people will be less anxious in the face of stories about the purported death of free will (or the reduction of the mind to the brain). In a series of four studies, they test their hypothesis, with mixed results.,The findings, however, tell us something important about the current use of primes in studies designed to manipulate people’s belief in free will (usually to measure their pro- or antisocial effects).

Beyond the Religious Pursuit of Race

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terence Keel
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual History ◽  
Modern Science ◽  
Science And Religion ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Scientific Study ◽  
Research Survey ◽  
The Relationship

Chapter 5 provides a summary of the major claims of the book. It also explains how the conflict thesis for representing the relationship between science and religion fails to capture how Christian intellectual history has been key to the formation of the race concept in modern science. Citing recent data from a 2015 Pew Research Survey, this chapter argues that the conflict thesis remains a fixture in the minds of Americans, which has consequences for shifting public perceptions about the assumed secularity of the scientific study of race. It closes with a call for recognizing that the scientific study of race is involved in providing a solution to the existential dilemma of defining what it means to be human. This solution is neither value-free nor detached from the cultural and religious inheritance that has fastened itself to the work of Euro-American scientists who study race.

Reconciling Old Lovers

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-183
Author(s):  
Michael S. Sherwin ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Science And Religion ◽  
Galileo Galilei ◽  
Human Culture ◽  
John Paul Ii ◽  
Dynamic Relationship ◽  
Nicholas Copernicus ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Science And Faith ◽  
Do So

John Paul II invites scientists and theologians to work toward a new relational unity between science and religion within the context of developing a fully human culture. The Pope affirms the Catholic insight that if science and faith could live together harmoniously in the hearts of Nicholas Copernicus and Galileo Galilei, then, in principle, they should be able to do so in the hearts of all scientists. Thus, there is no need for any divorce between science and faith. The God of creation is the God of revelation and redemptioru Science and faith can work together for the promotion of tme culture, because ultimately the truth they both pursue is a "Who" and not a "what." The relationship between science and faith can be dynamic and healthy, because truth itself is a dynamic relationship. If we grant that the nuptial analogy is apt, then truly we can say that John Paul's work is an attempt to reconcile old lovers. Indeed, for the Christian, the ground of Truth is itself a triune community of love.

scholarly journals Neuropsychiatry in the UK: planning the service provision for the 21st century

2008 ◽  
Vol 32 (8) ◽  
pp. 303-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niruj Agrawal ◽  
Simon Fleminger ◽  
Howard Ring ◽  
Shoumitro Deb
Keyword(s):  
Service Provision ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
Cartesian Dualism ◽  
Mind And Body ◽  
No Man's Land ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Mind ◽  
The 19Th Century ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Brain

Some believe that Cartesian dualism of mind and body in the 19th century and the rise of psychoanalysis by the turn of the 20th century was what led to the separation of neurology and psychiatry. More recently, conceptualisations of the mind/brain paradigm have helped rediscover the relationship between the mind and the brain, bringing renewed synergy between neurology and psychiatry (Cunningham et al, 2006). However, division is still apparent in current service planning and provision in the UK for individuals whose presentation lies in the no-man's-land between these two historical domains.

scholarly journals Gülen on Nature of Knowledge

Aqlania ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 147
Author(s):  
Zenno Noeralamsyah
Keyword(s):  
Ontological Argument ◽  
Science And Religion ◽  
Complete Separation ◽  
Religion And Science ◽  
Religious Texts ◽  
Scientific Approach ◽  
Current Context ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Science And Faith ◽  
The Universe

P This article aim to explore perspective of Fethulleh Gülen about knowledge. The idea that science and religion coalesce in the structure of the universe has been expressed by Western philosophers, that contributed to the almost complete separation of intellectual and scientific activities from religion. In this view of dualism, science and religion both find their apotheosis and its keeping religion and science separating by an unbridgeable chasm. The ontological argument of the idea of giving birth to materialism, which supposes that the nature of existence based on matter. Associated with this, Fethullah Gülen offers a new typical scientific approach that will fuse scientific knowledge and religious beliefs closely associated with spirituality, reconfigures modern understandings of science and faith to relieve the dichotomous presumption of the reason-revelation divide. He is deeply interested in the problematic of the relationship between religion and science, while he does not reject the modern scientific approach, neither does it deify it. The essence of the philosophical thought of Fethullah Gülen (who was otherwise known simply as Hoca Effendi) is that understanding the religious texts and the creeds of Islam should be performed using sufi interpretation and commentary by transmission, without denying current context. In Gülen’s view, religious belief and scientifical reason should be combined, for they are a single truth with two expressions. Therefore, the unification of physics and metaphysics in the nature of knowledge, fundamental concept of bridging science and spirituality, both traditional and modern influences in Gülen's treatment of science will be analyzed in this article, to examine what nature of knowledge is in accordance with Gülen's worldview.

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