The Human Psyche
The GIFFORD Lectures University of Edinburgh 1978-1979
Published on 1. July 1980
Book
Hardback
XVI, 283 pages
978-3-540-09954-3 (ISBN)
Description
In February and March 1978 I delivered my first series of Gifford Lectures in the University of Edinburgh. These lectures have been published under the title The Human Mystery. The second series of ten lectures were delivered from April 18 to May 4 1979 under the title The Human Psyche. As with the first series, the printed text is actually the manuscript prepared for those lectures, not some later compilation. The lectures were delivered informally, but based strictly on this manuscript. It is hoped that the printed text will convey the dramatic character of a lecture presenta tion. This book must not be regarded as a definitive text in neuroscience, psychology and philosophy, but rather as a series of 'adventures of ideas', to revive a Whiteheadean title. The brain-mind problem has been the theme of three recent books: The Self and Its Brain; The Human Mystery (in its latter part); and now The Human Psyche. In this book there is critical discussion in the first lecture of the materialist hypotheses of the relationship of the self-con scious mind to the brain. In the subsequent lectures the strong dualist-interactionism developed in The Self and Its Brain is explored in depth in relation to a wide variety of phenomena relating to self-consciousness. The aim has been to demonstrate the great explanatory power of dualist interactionism in contrast to the poverty and inadequacy of all varieties of the materialist theories of the mind.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Heidelberg
Germany
Publishing group
Springer Berlin
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
40 s/w Abbildungen
40 black & white illustrations, biography
Weight
535 gr
ISBN-13
978-3-540-09954-3 (9783540099543)
DOI
10.1007/978-3-642-49252-5
Schweitzer Classification
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Content
Lecture 1 Consciousness, Self-consciousness and the Brain-Mind Problem.- Résumé.- 1. 1 Introduction.- 1. 2 Unity of Consciousness and Commissurotomy.- 1. 3 Hypotheses Relating to the Brain-Mind Problem.- 1. 3. 1 Introductory Considerations.- 1. 3. 2 Survey of Brain-Mind Hypotheses.- 1. 3. 3 Critical Evaluation of Brain-Mind Hypotheses.- 1. 4 Recent Proposals by Neuroscientists in Relation to the Brain-Mind Problem.- Lecture 2 Modules of the Neocortex and their Role in Dualist-Interactionism.- Résumé.- 2. 1 Introduction.- 2. 2 Modular Concept of the Neocortex.- 2. 3 Modular Operation of the Neocortex.- 2. 4 Liaison Between Brain and Mind.- 2. 5 Summary and Conclusions on the Brain-Mind Problem.- Lecture 3 Sensory Perception and Illusions.- Résumé.- 3. 1 Introduction.- 3. 2 Anatomical Considerations.- 3. 3 Physiological Investigations.- 3. 4 Psychological Comments.- 3. 5 Visual Illusions.- 3. 5. 1 General Considerations.- 3. 5. 2 Classification.- 3. 5. 3 Cognitive Illusions.- 3. 5. 3. 1 Errors of Judgement.- 3. 5. 3. 2 Completion Illusions.- 3. 5. 3. 3 Illusions Characterized by Ambiguity.- 3. 5. 3. 4 Attempted Explanations of Cognitive Illusions.- 3. 5. 3. 4. 1 Introduction.- 3. 5. 3. 4. 2 Errors of Judgement.- 3. 5. 3. 4. 3 Completion Illusions.- 3. 5. 3. 4. 4 Illusions Characterized by Ambiguity.- 3. 6 Depth Perception.- 3. 6. 1 Stereopsis.- 3. 6. 2 Other Factors Concerned in Depth Perception.- 3. 6. 3 Impossible Figures.- 3. 6. 4 Attempted Explanations of the Illusions of Depth Perception.- Lecture 4 Electrical Responses of the Brain.- Résumé.- 4. 1 Human Electroencephalogram.- 4. 2 Event Related Potentials.- 4. 2. 1 Evoked Potentials in the Neocortex.- 4. 2. 2 Attention.- 4. 2. 2. 1 Introduction.- 4. 2. 2. 2 Experimental Investigations on Attention.- 4. 2. 3 Influence of Attention and Intention on the Neural Machinery of the Brain.- 4. 2. 4 Intention.- 4. 2. 4. 1 Introduction.- 4. 2. 4. 2 Cerebral Correlates of Intention.- 4. 2. 4. 3 Neural Mechanisms of Intention.- Lecture 5 The Emotional Brain.- Résumé.- 5. 1 Introduction.- 5. 2 Limbic System.- 5. 2. 1 Some Anatomical Considerations.- 5. 2. 2 Limbic System and Emotional Expression.- 5. 2. 3 Conclusions on Limbic System.- 5. 2. 4 Pharmacology of Limbic System and Hypothalamus.- 5. 3 Pain.- 5. 3. 1 Introduction.- 5. 3. 2 Anatomy and Physiology of Nociceptive Pathways.- 5. 3. 3 Pharmacological Control of Pain.- 5. 3. 4 Neural Substrate of Pain?.- 5. 4 General Considerations of Other Affects.- Lecture 6 Brain Activity and Levels of Consciousness.- Résumé.- 6. 1 Introduction.- 6. 2 Levels of Metabolic Activity in the Brain.- 6. 3 Electroencephalographic Studies of Neuronal Systems that Modify Cerebral Activity.- 6. 3. 1 Introduction.- 6. 3. 2 Reticular Activating System.- 6. 3. 3 Serotonergic Pathway.- 6. 3. 4 Noradrenergic Pathway.- 6. 4 Sleep.- 6. 4. 1 Introduction.- 6. 4. 2 Electrophysiology of Sleep.- 6. 4. 3 Explanations of the Phenomena of Sleep.- 6. 4. 4 Dreams.- 6. 4. 5 Hallucinations.- 6. 5 Convulsions.- 6. 6 Coma and Vigil Coma.- 6. 7 Anaesthesia.- 6. 8 Discussion on Brain Activity and Levels of Consciousness.- Lecture 7 World 3, Remembrance and Creativity.- Résumé.- 7. 1 Introduction.- 7. 2 World 3.- 7. 2. 1 Initial Statement.- 7. 2. 2 Objective Existence of World 3.- 7. 2. 3 Relationships Between the Brain and World 3.- 7. 2. 4 Artistic Creativity and World 3.- 7. 2. 5 Criticisms of the Objective Existence of World 3.- 7. 3 Remembrance.- 7. 3. 1 Introduction.- 7. 3. 2 Role of Modules in Cerebral Learning.- 7. 3. 3 Conclusions.- 7. 4 Creativity.- 7. 4. 1 Creative Imagination in Science.- 7. 4. 2 Creative Imagination and Brain-Mind Problem.- Lecture 8 Altruism, Pseudaltruism and Aggression.- Résumé.- 8. 1 Introduction.- 8. 2 Genetic Inheritance.- 8. 3 Kin Selection.- 8. 4 Pseudaltruism.- 8. 5 Altruism.- 8. 6 Aggression.- Lecture 9 The Quest for Values and Meaning.- Résumé.- 9. 1 Origin of Values.- 9. 2 Values in the Modern World.- 9. 3 Science and Values.- 9. 4 Conclusions with Respect to Values.- 9. 5 The Meaning and the Purpose of Life.- Lecture 10 The Psyche, Freedom, Death and Immortality.- Résumé.- 10. 1 Introduction.- 10. 2 The Psyche (or Soul).- 10. 3 Uniqueness of the Psyche.- 10. 4 Freedom of the Will.- 10. 5 Science and Religion.- 10. 6 Death and Immortality?.- 10. 7 Epilogue.- References.