The Story of the Living Machine: A Review of the Conclusions of Modern Biology in Regard; to the Mechanism Which Controls the Phenomena of Living; Activity — John Shaqi
The Story of the Living Machine: A Review of the Conclusions of Modern Biology in Regard; to the Mechanism Which Controls the Phenomena of Living; ActivityConn, H. W. (Herbert William)
Philosophy
The Story of the Living Machine: A Review of the Conclusions of Modern Biology in Regard; to the Mechanism Which Controls the Phenomena of Living; Activity
Conn, H. W. (Herbert William)
Biology
But when we turn to the more obscure parts of the nervous phenomena,
those which we commonly call mental, we find ourselves obliged to stop
abruptly. We may trace the external force to the sensory organ, we may
trace this force into a nervous stimulus, and may follow this stimulus
to the brain as a wave motion, and therefore as a form of physical
energy. But there we must stop. We have no idea of how the nervous
impulse is converted into a sensation. The mental side of the sensation
appears to stand in a category by itself, and we can not look upon it as
a form of energy. It is true that many brave attempts have been made to
associate the two. Sensations can be measured as to intensity, and the
intensity of a sensation is to a certain extent dependent upon the
intensity of the stimulus exciting it. The mental sensation is
undoubtedly excited by the physical wave of nervous impulse. In the
growth of the individual the development of its mental powers are found
to be parallel to the development of its nerves and brain--a fact which,
of course, proves that mental power is dependent upon brain structure.
Further, it is found that certain visible changes occur in certain parts
of the brain--the brain cells--when they are excited into mental
activity. Such series of facts point to an association between the
mental side of sensations and physical structure of the machine. But
they do not prove any correlation between them. The unlikeness of mental
and physical phenomena is so absolute that we must hesitate about
drawing any connection between them. It is impossible to conceive the
mental side of a sensation as a form of wave motion. If, further, we
take into consideration the other phenomena associated with the nervous
system, the more distinctly mental processes, we have absolutely no data
for any comparison. We can not imagine thought measured by units, and
until we can conceive of such measurement we can get no meaning from any
attempt to find a correlation between mental and physical phenomena. It
is true that certain psychologists have tried to build up a conception
of the physical nature of mind; but their attempts have chiefly resulted
in building up a conception of the physical nature of the brain, and
then ignoring the radical chasm that exists between mind and matter. The
possibility of describing a complex brain as growing parallel to the
growth of a complex mind has been regarded as equivalent to proving
their identity. All attempts in this direction thus far have simply
ignored the fact that the stimulation of a nerve, a purely physical
process, is not the same thing as a mental action. What the future may
disclose it is hazardous to say, but at present the mental side of the
living machine has not been included within the conception of the
mechanical nature of the organism.
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