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Brain, behavior, and mind: what do we know and what can we know?

C H Vanderwolf1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
|May 14, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Neuroscience research suggests traditional mind-brain theories by Aristotle and Descartes are outdated. Understanding how neural activity generates behavior, not consciousness, is the primary scientific challenge.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Philosophy of Mind

Background:

  • Traditional discussions of the mind rely on outdated philosophical assumptions from Aristotle and Descartes.
  • Recent scientific evidence challenges these historical perspectives on mind-brain relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a comprehensive review of psychological and neuroscientific findings on the mind-brain-behavior problem.
  • To critically evaluate existing theories and assumptions about consciousness and mental states.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of psychological and neuroscientific studies.
  • Analysis of theoretical frameworks in the philosophy of mind and cognitive science.

Main Results:

  • Human awareness is primarily of the external world and body, not directly of internal thoughts.
  • Objective assessment of subjective awareness in others, especially non-human animals and impaired individuals, lacks clear criteria.
  • Conventional psychological divisions (e.g., emotion, cognition) do not map directly onto brain function subdivisions.
  • The primary challenge in neuroscience is understanding neural mechanisms underlying behavior, not explaining subjective experience.

Conclusions:

  • Current models of the mind require revision based on empirical scientific evidence.
  • The focus of neuroscience should shift towards explaining behavior generation from neural activity.
  • The problem of other minds and the nature of subjective awareness remain significant challenges.

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