This research tells us that our philosophical judgments will change as a result of what seem to be unrelated thoughts and their effect on our brain. It demonstrates that variations in our brain can cause variations in our philosophical judgments. No great surprise there, but interesting to review the studies that support it.
I find it fascinating how our biology, the time of day, our blood sugar levels, what day of the week it is, and a whole host of other seemingly random factors, can affect how philosophical we are - and which way we might swing on an issue. I like to tell friends, "On a Monday, I'm an atheist, on a Wednesday, I'm a socialist, and on a Friday I'm a Christian anarchist!" ;-)
As Byrd says, philosophical judgments depend on features of our brains. If the brain is plastic, then you'd think that would be vice versa. Professor Barry C. Smith, Director of the Institute of Philosophy, writes in the Guardian:
"Getting at the elusive nature of our own experience and freeing ourselves from faulty interpretations is a tricky business. Many disciplines are needed if we are to make a real breakthrough."
R U M M A G E
----------------
Video: Big Think: Hugely engaging video featuring Prof Smith on Moving Beyond The Traditional 5 Human Senses
No comments:
Post a Comment