Richard Owen on the mind/body problem

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary Biology
• History of Science
• Philosophy of Mind

Background:

• Richard Owen is traditionally viewed as a conservative, Platonic naturalist.
• His work on vertebrate anatomy is extensive and influential.
• The mind-body problem remains a central philosophical and scientific challenge.

Observation:

• This study re-examines Richard Owen's philosophical underpinnings, particularly his views on the mind-body problem.
• Owen's reflections are analyzed within the context of his broader comparative anatomical project.
• Specific attention is given to his late-career writings in "On the Anatomy of Vertebrates," Volume III.

Findings:

• Contrary to prevailing scholarship, Owen espoused a radically physicalist worldview.
• His perspective on the mind-body problem extended his physicalist approach.
• Owen's ideas foreshadow key concepts of mid-20th century Brain State Theory.

Implications:

• This reinterpretation challenges established historical narratives of Richard Owen.
• It highlights potential physicalist underpinnings in 19th-century natural history.
• Owen's work may offer early insights into neuroscientific theories of mind.