Brain and Mind

[Smoogles]

One of the 'big ticket' questions, what is the difference between mind and brain? If there even is one, what do you people think? Please give good definitions from your life experiences, that is the only way to come to a valid conclusion a 'proof' which is virtually unattainable in philosophy of mind. Bring your argument to the table, please :].

[blazeofglory]

Mind and brains are not two entities, and they are one. Where is the mind? Nobody can say exactly where does the mind exist?

[Smoogles]

The mind-body problem concerns the explanation of the relationship that exists between minds, or mental processes, and bodily states or processes. One of the aims of philosophers who work in this area is to explain how a supposedly non-material mind can influence a material body and vice-versa. It is non-material, it is what gives you a conscience and other things of such magnitude, brain is just merely materialistic used to carry on basic survival needs.

[jgweed]

I recommend, as a corrective to even using the word "mind" in a supposedly meaningful manner, the reading of Gilbert Ryle's The Concept of Mind (1949).

[amanda_isabel]

hmmm. I'm not entirely sure of this but I anyway, as far as I know:

The mind and brain are two different things, tough not necessarily two separate entities. To me "brain" is more of the biological thing, you know, that convoluted gross (ahem. subjective) looking thing that is often colored gray or a pinkish shade of that, the thing that our skull protects. Mind, I believe, is more the combination of different aspects, kinda like, well, when they say "you're out of your mind", meaning insane, and sanity is the totality of well being. I guess then in simple terms, the mind is the totality of a person's being--the brain / logic / thinking part included. :)

[Smoogles]

I mean in mind, as is it anything more than an Idle side-effect of our brains processes? "All philosophy begins with wonder"- haven't you wondered if we were ever supposed to wonder in the first place?

Until the present century the duality of mind and brain was never in question except, that is, to the adherents of various Idealist or Phenomenalist doctrines which, in defiance of common sense, insisted that matter was just a construction of mind and had no ontological independence. What was at issue was whether the brain was self-sufficient and operated on a purely physical basis or whether mind could intervene in its operations so as to ensure one overt action rather than another. Determinists insisted that the brain was a machine and so mental events could have no influence on behaviour, they were mere 'epiphenomena.' Libertarians, on the contrary, i.e. those who clung to the common-sense belief in free will, took their stand with Descartes and insisted that a two- way interaction operated between mind and brain.

So all in all everyone should have an opinion on this matter and I would like to hear all fronts, all sides, all -ologist, -ians, and -cists' points of view. I find it very interesting if you dwell deep enough.