Some Terminology for the Philosophy of Mind and Neuroscience Imaging

BLANK SLATE (TABULA RASA)—The idea that the mind at birth is void of any abilities other than to learn from its environment. See MODULAR THEORY for more discussion.

COMPLEXITY—The idea that complex systems can have more going on in them than can be explained by looking at the parts that make them up.  (The sum is greater than the parts.)  Compare to REDUCTIONISM.

COMPUTATIONAL THEORY OF MIND—The idea, which springs kind of naturally from DETERMINISM, MATERIALISM and  REDUCTIONISM that the brain is just a kind of computer.  Critics would argue that this idea is unable to explain consciousness.  But then, there do not appear to be any theories able to explain the big C.

CONSCIOUSNESS—Your guess is as good as anyone’s

DETERMINISM (CAUSAL THEORY OF MIND)—Systems in which we can predict (determine) the future outcome simply by knowing the conditions at a previous time are said to be deterministic.  On the philosophical level determinism is the belief that all that happens in the universe is determined by the initial conditions of the universe.  (See materialism, since this is the basis for the deterministic philosophy.)  Applied to the mind, determinism is called the “causal theory of mind.”   Compare to FREE WILL.

DUALISM—in the philosophy of mind the theory that not only are mental phenomena not reducible to physical phenomena, they are wholly distinct, making up two distinct realms of being.  Compare to MATERIALISM.

EEG (ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY)—Measures brainwaves via electrodes placed on or stuck into the skull.  Brainwaves are the electrical signals due to the firing of neurons.  Fairly old (pre 1960s) and coarse technique for brain imaging.  Non-invasive and safe. fMRI (FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING)—Uses the same technology as MRI but like PET it can provide a map of what parts of the brain are working hardest.  It has been around since the 1990s.  Unlike PET it is safe. FREE WILL—The belief that “we” (the part of us that is our essence or consciousness - whatever that means) have the ability to control our thoughts.  We are the captains of our fate.  This is related to DUALISM since the material world (see MATERIALISM) appears to be best explained by DETERMINISM (quantum mechanics aside).  Compare to DETERMINISM. MATERIALISM—The view that everything that actually exists is material, or physical. Compare to  DUALISM. MEG (MAGNETIC ENCEPHALOGRAPHY)—The newest and best.  It can take images in real time (that is, it does movies not just pictures).  It measures the tiny magnetic signals resulting from neuronal activity (EEG measures the electrical signal due to neurons).  It can tell which part of the brain is activated and in which order during various tasks and situations. Non-invasive and safe. MRI (MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING)—Magnetic fields are used to induce radio emission from atoms in the brain.  Different atoms give different signals and the brain can be mapped with quite good resolution.  It’s been around since the 1980s and is safe and noninvasive.  It provides a static view of the brain.  That is, it is ok for pictures but not movies.

MODULAR THEORY—The theory that the brain´s various functions are carried out each in their own specialized region (module) of the brain.  The implication is that much of our brain’s structure and function is determined (see DETERMINISM)  by our genes.  In linguistics there is much evidence that shows that our brains are far from BLANK SLATES when we are born.  It appears that there is no way that children could learn language as quickly as they do if all language ability developed because the brain programmed itself in response to a child’s exposure to language in the environment. 

PET (POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY)—Similar in result to fMRI but via a different method.  Radioactive substances are inhaled or injected into the blood stream and the radiation from the substance allows a mapping of the brain.  The circulatory system delivers the substance so it shows which parts of the brain are getting more blood and hence working.  The resulting picture can help map what part of the brain is doing what for different activities.  This techniques dates from the 1980s.  It is potentially dangerous due to the radioactivity and only one scanning session per year is allowed. 

REDUCTIONISM—The idea that we can fully explain any system by breaking it down (reducing it) to smaller and smaller components and then understanding the components and their interactions. For example, all matter can be explained by understanding atoms and how they interact.  Compare to COMPLEXITY.