A lot of my psych classes this semester seem to be interested with this problem, so I thought I'd present it to Lifer and get their response to it. For those that don't know, the mind-body problem is an argument that has existed since the beginning of philosophy about the nature of the mind. Basically the two sides are whether the mind is a product of the brain or if it is a construct that exists outside the body. Discuss.

*ponders*

The way I would tackle it would be to consider the nature of both's existence.

1) Can a mind exist without a brain?
2) Can a brain exist without a mind?

If the brain were to die, then all visible manifestations of the mind will die with it. However, it is possible for the mind to 'die' (im thinking of a vegetative state here), where almost all capabilities of the mind cease. Despite that, the brain can still function on some level, regulating base functions (heartbeat, breathing and so on) which shouldn't be considered a construct of the mind.

So, whilst a tricky one, based on the evidence we currently have I would say that the likelihood of the mind being a construct of the brain is the greater one. Really is one of those arguments that could easily swing either way though.

This topic goes WAY beyond my mental capabilities. Which isn't that hard to do in all honesty.

...

How can a mind work without a brain? Bawden pretty much sums it up, I don't believe in 'souls' or that hippie crap so no. Various coordinators in the brain keep us alive but we don't need a mind for them to work. No offence, but I think this is a pretty obvious question.

If you think about how the brain works however, it becomes less obvious. For the most part the brain is controlled by neurons. These are simply cells that send along electro-chemical signals on to other neurons and through that we function. There is no variety in how a neuron fires. It operates under an all-or-none principle. So, if the brain is on its most basic level electrical impulses and neurotransmitters, where do complex things like memory and personality come from?

I'm reminded of Ayreon's 01011001. The concept that possibly, individuals can exist without being tethered to physical forms? Is that what this is talking about?

Kamikaze wrote:

If you think about how the brain works however, it becomes less obvious. For the most part the brain is controlled by neurons. These are simply cells that send along electro-chemical signals on to other neurons and through that we function. There is no variety in how a neuron fires. It operates under an all-or-none principle. So, if the brain is on its most basic level electrical impulses and neurotransmitters, where do complex things like memory and personality come from?

Damn, there's a really interesting talk going on at my school about that exact question but sadly rugby training is going to cause me to miss that, i'd love to answer.

Oh I call bullshit Will. Only men can play rugby, not boys.

Nautilus wrote:

Oh I call bullshit Will. Only men can play rugby, not boys.

Oh... that's why Americans don't play rugby, thanks for clearing that up for me.

Monkzum wrote:

Nautilus wrote:

Oh I call bullshit Will. Only men can play rugby, not boys.

Oh... that's why Americans don't play rugby, thanks for clearing that up for me.

At least we have nice teeth.

Nautilus wrote:

Monkzum wrote:

Nautilus wrote:

Oh I call bullshit Will. Only men can play rugby, not boys.

Oh... that's why Americans don't play rugby, thanks for clearing that up for me.

At least we have nice teeth.

I'm getting them whitened at half term!

Kamikaze wrote:

If you think about how the brain works however, it becomes less obvious. For the most part the brain is controlled by neurons. These are simply cells that send along electro-chemical signals on to other neurons and through that we function. There is no variety in how a neuron fires. It operates under an all-or-none principle. So, if the brain is on its most basic level electrical impulses and neurotransmitters, where do complex things like memory and personality come from?

The hippocampus

All we know is that the hippocampus is critical in the formation of memories. We have no idea how it does it, just that it does.

Meh, I need a fucking dictionary for this thread.

Good question.

Do we have a ''pondering'' emoticon?

This is wayyyyyyyy over my head. However, I'm going to try to answer anyway. >.<

I think in order to have a mind, you need your brain. A functioning brain at that.
If your brain stops working what happens? You die. If you die, then I think your mind goes too because simply there's nothing left to you. Since nobody knows what happens when you die, you could very well keep your mind and essentially live a life as a spirit or whatever in heaven, hell, or wherever your religion places you after death. Unless religion doesn't matter and everyone goes to the same place anyway, which again, nobody knows.

Kamikaze wrote:

All we know is that the hippocampus is critical in the formation of memories. We have no idea how it does it, just that it does.

How the hippocampus functions is by no means fully understood, but we know a bit more than that.

Short-term memories are stored by the establishment of recurrent circuits of neuronal activity. This is where neurons synapse with each other to form a circular path. The last neuron to be activated then stimulates the first neuron. These reverberating circuits can only be held for a short period of time.
Long-term memory, the consolidation of short-term memory, requires relatively permanent changes in the chemical structure of neurons and their synapses. The phenomenon of long-term potentiation (LTP) has been used to study the nature of these synaptic changes.

I could go into far more detail than this, if you're interested. I study neuropharmacology and had to write an essay on the hippocampus six months ago.

I have absolutely nothing to back this up, but I believe that the mind is just a product of the brain.

The book I'm reading currently actually has an interesting argument for mind-body dualism based on certain functions of the brain. The entire argument stems from the fact that an adult brain is still plastic, just not to the extent of a child's, and can be physically altered through sheer will alone.

This is a very interesting question. What I like to think is "yes", because it is impossible for me to comprehend the intricacies of the human mind and then to try and explain everything with very unimposing movements of electrical current in a grey ball of meat. But to make a decent argument I`d have to read up some more on the subject