John Locke Research Paper

Topic Area IX: Contemporary Metaphysics

Option i: Research any contemporary scientific view, such as String Theory or quantum Mechanics. Assess how a few philosophers we have studied in this course would react to the basic assumption and findings of the theory you have chosen.

I am going to research Neuroscience as my topic. I am going to explore how a few of the philosophers that we have studied maybe would have reacted to these current findings of modern man and his endeavors to study the mind. Human being are part of nature, the Stoics philosophers who gave us logic told us a detailed theory of knowledge , and put a lot of effort on the theories of the nature of the universe. The stoics believe what counts is the state of your
will, because that is what is in your control. You must put your whole effort (your will) into your harmony with nature. Neuroscience sees our consciousness creating an inner life or (realm) where we think and feel. We have a conscious awareness that helps us operate through a sense of self, but that self gets confused by the awareness of the body. Neuroscience tries to explain what is going on in the brain and that we might even have levels of cogitative awareness which questions whether our ability to consciously decide everything may be an illusion. I think the Stoics were a little more relaxed about the whole idea meaning that they understood at times we are powerless to certain situations but we are not powerless to how we deal with it once again using our minds to help us from our over thinking selves. Neuroscience finds unconscious brain activity can drive decision making, where this concept separates the mind from the body which in turn separates us from free will.

John Locke writes about understanding how our mind works. He wrote a famous paper titled, “Essay Concerning Human Understanding” he states that, “understanding sets man above the rest of sensible beings, and this gives him all the advantage and dominion”.

Modern Neuroscience considers the ability to watch the brain in action, through CT scans, which are at the fore front of technology. The philosophers from the past could never have imagined what the future of brain research would hold. This does not mean that we can clearly explain why the brain does what it does but we have a better understanding of, how; the brain does what it does. Our desire to comprehend the function of our brains sets us apart from any other creatures, because our perception of reality sets us apart. Locke contends that humans should investigate the nature of consciousness itself. Modern research is extraordinarily rigorous and yet the conclusions we hold to be certain today, are often disputed twenty years later. This information or knowledge that we acquire starts with the brain and ends with the brain. It is the product and projection of the past. In acknowledging that we recall all our ideas through our experience, Locke asks, “What is it that gives me the idea of myself at all? He answers consciousness”. So how does consciousness start in the brain? I don’t think science has the answer.

Locke also acknowledges the idea of substance.
Ideas come from two sources, sensation and reflection. He further states that all ideas can be traced back to simple ideas. The problem is, we put multiple simple ideas together and then name that group with those qualities. Like “Gold,” its contents are yellow, solid, and pliable. But what it is, in itself, we have no idea. Thus these substances then are unknown in themselves, but they can be known to exist as the cause of the ideas they produce. Locke says that we have just as good an idea of the spiritual substance as of the material. In Locke’s Essay II, he states that “communication of motion by thought, which we attribute to spirit, is as evident as that by impulse, which we credit to the body.” So if you ask who am I? And what makes me? I have no choice but to answer this; I am the consciousness of
myself.

The conclusion from today’s neuroscience is mental functions may be produced by the brain.
This would include the methods of will, moral choice, and the discernment of God. From this it does not follow that, free will is an illusion, God is an illusion. In this conclusion I read, “Accept the science, but not the nonscientific conclusions.” I find this to be a very interesting topic and open-mindedness is a pre-requisite.

On the other hand I read that neuroscience has found some evidence of, “microscopic groupings of a few differentiated cells (embryos), they say there is nothing human about them except potential, but if you choose to believe, a soul.” Maybe there is a link between our chronological and theological experiences that implies the existence of a soul. But just think, if the soul exists, then there might be a very good reason to think that, a higher-power, or God exists.

Again from documentation, many people have had out of body experiences, they have gone somewhere else but it was not this world, or maybe it was looking down on the world from above. Upon awaking, they find their selves back in their bodies, where once again they must use their brains and move their
limbs.

Neuroscience today has come a long way from being able to understand the functions of the different parts of the brain; we can track the neurons in the brain. These findings were detected through micro mapping. This kind of research has completely changed how we look at the function of the human brain. We now have maps of the brain, both sensory and motor maps. This type of mapping has helped science to prove that neurons that fire together wire together. These neurons generate voltage pulses. This research has helped us to understand how and why we do what we do. The brain, as it turns out has plasticity, and this is part of its ability to help itself. Plasticity of the brain has proven to be one of the most critical discoveries in the twentieth century. Science today has been able to help many people with different debilitating mental illnesses, some that were born with learning disabilities, and some that were afflicted with disabilities through life altering incidents. Modern neuro science has been able to help them without having to rely on drugs or other people. Science has had major advances in the field of neuro-plasticity. We have learned how to help change the very structure of the brain; the brain is always learning how to learn. The brain is not limited. On the contrary, our brains can continue to learn into old age.

The information that I have read so far shows me that neuroscience is being used by philosophers to better understand concepts such as perception, beliefs and the nature of consciousness. From my studies in this class, it seems like man has been thinking and analyzing this subject from as far back as the Ancient Greeks.

As for the idea of spiritual substance I ask, do I have a soul? Where is it? Locke says “I do more certainly know that there is some spiritual being within me that sees and hears.” The substance of reflection that is within me, constantly yearning for the desire to know where I came from, that maybe there is truly something bigger than my mind can conceive. I feel it in my soul, where sometimes I cry inside for the answers or maybe just the truth. What is the illusion?

C.S. Lewis wrote, “You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.”

Maybe it’s like the Tootsie Pop, “How many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a Tootsie Pop. The world may never know.

First research material is from week 8 reading and the you tube video “The Consolation of Philosophy”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k83NopYGRjg

Second research material is from the internet and week 11 reading on John Locke the,” Father of Enlightenment”.

http://whywereason.com/tag/john-locke

Third research material is from the internet.

www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/mar/04/consciousness-neuroscience-self-philosophy

Fourth research material is from teacher recommendation.

Audio Book: The Brain that changes itself By Norman Doidge, M.D.