 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
||||||
|
|||||||
| 18.3 |
The concept of the human mind
|
|
| When we talk of the human person as a thinking and rational animal, we talk of the human being's mind- that array of faculties capable of originating thought, symbols and beliefs (structure of symbols) into common visual and audio communication between the species. | ||
| Yet what do we mean when we say the word mind? Is mind the most adequate description of that vast array of unique cognitive entities- cells, neurons, neuron networks, spider neurons and specialized cognitive regions? | ||
| In this section we investigate the meaning of the word mind and seek to define more adequately this vital of concepts. | ||
| 18.3.1 | What do we mean by the word mind? What do we believe we are describing? | |
| The word mind is an ancient term derived originally from the word mon and men, meaning "an action or thought" Since is adoption in the English language, the word has accrued over two dozens meanings from rituals associated with the requiem for a departed soul, remembering something, to the act of cognition and the seat of consciousness. | ||
| While each of these definitions has value and relevance to what we mean when we say the word "mind", the myriad of definitions makes the act of understanding the nature of mind- as we have defined the physical and cognitive abilities quite difficult. | ||
| In Latin the word nous was used to define mind. In the Western tradition, the complex of faculties involved in perceiving, remembering, considering, evaluating, and deciding. Mind is in some sense reflected in such occurrences as sensations, perceptions, emotions, memory, desires, various types of reasoning, motives, choices, traits of personality, and the unconscious. | ||
| Yet is it something physical we are describing- in terms of hardware and physical components, or something ethereal? intangible- a running complex program? | ||
| In addition, when we talk of mind, are we describing the one person and mind, or the duality of thoughts that often represent the two sides of mind, or "two minds"? Or are we describing the multitude of specialized regions of neurons in the cerebrum, cerebellum and spinal column that align to produce specialized motor cortex functions or specialized hardware to perform specialized cognitive function? | ||
| 18.3.2 | Mind- the concept as something uniquely human | |
| Some previously popular theories considered mind as a peculiarly human possession. We now understand mind via UCA as a universal property of matter to some degree, with many animals, besides humans exhibiting highly developed nervous systems and therefore higher mind functions (such as dogs and cats dreaming). | ||
| 18.3.3 | Assumed concepts associated with "Mind" | |
| Several assumptions are considered fundamental with any definition of mind. | ||
| 1. The assumption of thought | ||
| The first primary concept associated with all reputable scientific theories of mind is the assumption that a mind, by definition involves the process of thinking. Thinking is variously defined as the cognitive act of constructing an impression, sense, communicated concept or phrase. A common sense description often used is the word "awareness" | ||
| 2. The assumption of self-knowledge | ||
| The second primary concept associated with all credible scientific theories of mind is the assumption of self-knowledge- that is the ability of knowing one's own existence "I think, therefore I am." . | ||
| A common description used to describe this feature of mind is the concept of self knowledge or self-reflection. In credible theories, Self knowledge presumes and in fact is dependent upon the existence of thought. The reason is that thought ultimately provides the only object by which a person may self verify their existence. While truth and falsity may differ depending upon the facts at hand and that error may occur in the determination of belief, self thought on one's own self is an underlying truth that cannot be disputed- "I exist." | ||
| 3. The understanding of intent | ||
| The third assumption is that of purpose or intention, of planning a course of action with foreknowledge of its goal or of working in any other way toward a desired and foreseen objective. Intent is, by definition considered a sign of intelligence and therefore a key component of mind. Interestingly, intent is largely seen as an exclusively human skill in psychology, even though many of the experiments conducted to provide analysis of behaviour has been with animals that display the feature of intent. | ||
| The famous example of Pavlov's Dog, trained to anticipate food at the sound of a bell, that saliva's at the sound of the bell even if no food is provided is an excellent example to show that intent is not just a feature of human ability but all animals possessing a higher cognitive neural network. | ||
|
We will consider these concepts and other concepts as we progress through this chapter. |
||
|
Copyright © 2009 UCADIA. All rights reserved.
|
||