Discussing Philosophy of Mind in Introductory Neuroscience Classes
Mathew H. Gendle
Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education March 15, 2011
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Key points | Argues that an in-depth discussion of philosophy of mind is a critical and foundational part of any introductory neuroscience course, because one cannot talk about physiological processes as the "building blocks" of psychological phenomena without first attempting to define general constructs like "the mind" and "mental states." |
Abstract
As a field, neuroscience concerns itself with gaining an understanding of how physical processes occurring in the nervous system are related to mental phenomena such as perception, motor control, and complex thoughts and behaviors. As teachers of neuroscience, we are charged with facilitating an understanding of these relationships in our students. Therefore, it seems that an in-depth discussion of philosophy of mind is a critical and foundational part of any introductory course in neuroscience. One cannot talk about how basic physiological processes like action potential generation and synaptic transmission are the “building blocks” of psychological phenomena without first attempting to define general constructs like “the mind” and “mental states”.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on philosophy of mind, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia. | 2003 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From dopamine to salience to psychosis--linking biology, pharmacology and phenomenology of psychosis. | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How do the brain's time and space mediate consciousness and its different dimensions? Temporo-spatial theory of consciousness (TTC). | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The phenomenology of deep brain stimulation-induced changes in OCD: an enactive affordance-based model. | 2013 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Looking for the Self: Phenomenology, Neurophysiology and Philosophical Significance of Drug-induced Ego Dissolution | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |