Bear in Mind
Kenneth Silber, who also writes for Tech Central Station, has a review at Reason Online of two new books on neurobiology. This is the field of study that has people in many quarters tied up in knots. What if all human behavior is chemically determined and we're mere biological machines? What does that mean for free will? For crime and punishment? For faith and God?
Even worse, to some folks, is the possibility that brain research will reveal that women really are different than men.
The review does mention Pavlov and Skinner, but not poor Larry Summers at Harvard. And the good news is, neuroscience hasn't written free will out of the human equation or reduced consciousness to mere mental digestion. Oh, and no killer robots, either.
As Glenn Reynolds would say, "this looks like good news."
Even worse, to some folks, is the possibility that brain research will reveal that women really are different than men.
The review does mention Pavlov and Skinner, but not poor Larry Summers at Harvard. And the good news is, neuroscience hasn't written free will out of the human equation or reduced consciousness to mere mental digestion. Oh, and no killer robots, either.
In On Intelligence, [Jeff] Hawkins portrays human intelligence as more subtle and flexible than anything computers do. His model suggests that while future artificial systems may possess remarkable intelligence, they will be neither human-like nor the malevolent superhuman entities of science fiction. In Mind: A Brief Introduction, [John R.] Searle provides an iconoclastic overview of the philosophy of mind, arguing for a position that accepts that the mind is materially based without dismissing or downplaying mental phenomena. Searle’s discussion ranges across such topics as the limitations of computers, the nature of the unconscious, and free will as a possible feature of the brain.
...
Mind: A Brief Introduction and On Intelligence are thought-provoking and, no less important, anxiety-reducing. By dispelling overstated mechanistic claims arising from recent trends in neurobiology and philosophy, these books serve to combat public fears and forestall a possible backlash against science and technology. Humans can be part of the natural world without being mere machines, and without being outdone by our own machines.
These books cast light on how it is possible to have a rich mental life while living in a physical universe. In so doing, they throw up roadblocks against any push for political authoritarianism or social engineering that might arise from increased knowledge of how brains work. Far from advancing tyranny, neurobiology may be starting to provide a deeper understanding of what human freedom is all about.
As Glenn Reynolds would say, "this looks like good news."
