Did My Neurons Make Me Do It

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Did My Neurons Make Me Do It?

Author : Nancey Murphy,Warren S. Brown
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 352 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2007-06-14
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780191526916

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Did My Neurons Make Me Do It? by Nancey Murphy,Warren S. Brown Pdf

If humans are purely physical, and if it is the brain that does the work formerly assigned to the mind or soul, then how can it fail to be the case that all of our thoughts and actions are determined by the laws of neurobiology? If this is the case, then free will, moral responsibility, and, indeed, reason itself would appear to be in jeopardy. Nancey Murphy and Warren S. Brown here defend a non-reductive version of physicalism whereby humans are (sometimes) the authors of their own thoughts and actions. Did My Neurons Make Me Do It? brings together insights from both philosophy and the cognitive neurosciences to defeat neurobiological reductionism. One resource is a 'post-Cartesian' account of mind as essentially embodied and constituted by action-feedback-evaluation-action loops in the environment, and 'scaffolded' by cultural resources. Another is a non-mysterious account of downward (mental) causation explained in terms of a complex, higher-order system exercising constraints on lower-level causal processes. These resources are intrinsically related: the embeddedness of brain events in action-feedback loops is the key to their mentality, and those broader systems have causal effects on the brain itself. With these resources Murphy and Brown take on two problems in philosophy of mind: a response to the charges that physicalists cannot account for the meaningfulness of language nor the causal efficacy of the mental qua mental. Solutions to these problems are a prerequisite to addressing the central problem of the book: how can biological organisms be free and morally responsible? The authors argue that the free-will problem is badly framed if it is put in terms of neurobiological determinism; the real issue is neurobiological reductionism. If it is indeed possible to make sense of the notion of downward causation, then the relevant question is whether humans exert downward causation over some of their own parts and processes. If all organisms do this to some extent, what needs to be added to this animalian flexibility to constitute free and responsible action? The keys are sophisticated language and hierarchically ordered cognitive processes allowing (mature) humans to evaluate their own actions, motives, goals, and rational and moral principles.

Did My Neurons Make Me Do It?

Author : Nancey C. Murphy,Warren S. Brown
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2009
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 0199568235

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Did My Neurons Make Me Do It? by Nancey C. Murphy,Warren S. Brown Pdf

If humans are purely physical, then must all our thoughts and actions be determined by the laws of neurobiology? Free will, moral responsibility, and reason itself appear to be in jeopardy. But Murphy and Brown present a non-reductive version of physicalism which leaves room for us to be (sometimes) the authors of our own thoughts and actions.

Naturalism and Our Knowledge of Reality

Author : R. Scott Smith
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 254 pages
File Size : 52,5 Mb
Release : 2016-04-22
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781317089650

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Naturalism and Our Knowledge of Reality by R. Scott Smith Pdf

Philosophical naturalism is taken to be the preferred and reigning epistemology and metaphysics that underwrites many ideas and knowledge claims. But what if we cannot know reality on that basis? What if the institution of science is threatened by its reliance on naturalism? R. Scott Smith argues in a fresh way that we cannot know reality on the basis of naturalism. Moreover, the "fact-value" split has failed to serve our interests of wanting to know reality. The author provocatively argues that since we can know reality, it must be due to a non-naturalistic ontology, best explained by the fact that human knowers are made and designed by God. The book offers fresh implications for the testing of religious truth-claims, science, ethics, education, and public policy. Consequently, naturalism and the fact-value split are shown to be false, and Christian theism is shown to be true.

The Web of Meaning

Author : Jeremy Lent
Publisher : New Society Publishers
Page : 358 pages
File Size : 42,8 Mb
Release : 2021-07-12
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781771423434

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The Web of Meaning by Jeremy Lent Pdf

“A profound personal meditation on human existence . . . weaving together . . . historic and contemporary thought on the deepest question of all: why are we here?” —Gabor Maté M.D., author, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts As our civilization careens toward climate breakdown, ecological destruction, and gaping inequality, people are losing their existential moorings. The dominant worldview of disconnection, which tells us we are split between mind and body, separate from each other, and at odds with the natural world, has been invalidated by modern science. Award-winning author Jeremy Lent, investigates humanity’s age-old questions—Who am I? Why am I? How should I live?—from a fresh perspective, weaving together findings from modern systems thinking, evolutionary biology, and cognitive neuroscience with insights from Buddhism, Taoism, and Indigenous wisdom. The result is a breathtaking accomplishment: a rich, coherent worldview based on a deep recognition of connectedness within ourselves, between each other, and with the entire natural world. It offers a compelling foundation for a new philosophical framework that could enable humanity to thrive sustainably on a flourishing Earth. The Web of Meaning is for everyone looking for deep and coherent answers to the crisis of civilization. “One of the most brilliant and insightful minds of our age, Jeremy Lent has written one of the most essential and compelling books of our time.” —David Korten, author, When Corporations Rule the World and The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community “We need, now more than ever, to figure out how to make all kinds of connections. This book can help—and therefore it can help with a lot of the urgent tasks we face.” —Bill McKibben, author, Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?

The Voice of Public Theology

Author : Ted Peters
Publisher : ATF Press
Page : 1150 pages
File Size : 55,9 Mb
Release : 2022-11-07
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 9781922737687

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The Voice of Public Theology by Ted Peters Pdf

Public theologians are already thundering like prophets at climate change and racial injustice. But the gale force winds of natural science blow through society as well. The public theologian should be on storm watch.

What's the Good of Humanity?

Author : Victor Lee Austin,Joel C. Daniels
Publisher : Wipf and Stock Publishers
Page : 110 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 2021-09-21
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781725255203

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What's the Good of Humanity? by Victor Lee Austin,Joel C. Daniels Pdf

From a Christian perspective, it could well be said that humanity, a good gift of God, is being undermined by the technology and thought-patterns and practices of contemporary Western culture. In response to what is seen as an attack, many books have been written on the harm of these technologically driven practices. These articles and books focus on what is wrong: with euthanasia, with surrogate motherhood, with the denial of the male-female difference, and so forth. Yet to make a compelling cultural witness, it is more important for Christians to know what is right, and essential that they be able to articulate the positive. Why do babies matter? What is the goodness embedded in being made male and female? How can one approach death in a godly manner? We need, in other words, to be able to give an account of God’s “Yes” (2 Cor 1:20), the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15). In this collection of essays, an ecumenical group of scholars, of diverse perspectives, discuss these and other important questions, in order to help discern what is good for humanity. With contributions by: Phillip Cary Donna Freitas Paul Hinlicky Edith M. Humphrey Patrick Lee Gilbert Meilaender Nancey Murphy

Consciousness and Freedom

Author : Donald A. Crosby
Publisher : Lexington Books
Page : 162 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2017-08-29
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9781498538916

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Consciousness and Freedom by Donald A. Crosby Pdf

This book explores the nature of human freedom, or what Crosby calls genuine freedom. He argues at length for the crucial importance of genuine freedom for responsible and meaningful human life, and takes extended issue, on practical as well as theoretical grounds, with those who argue for the compatibility of freedom with causal determinism.

Redeeming Sin?

Author : Ernst M. Conradie
Publisher : Lexington Books
Page : 291 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2017-10-11
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781498542463

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Redeeming Sin? by Ernst M. Conradie Pdf

Can Christian sin-talk be retrieved within the public sphere? In this contribution to ecotheology, Ernst M. Conradie argues that, amid ecological destruction, discourse on sin can contribute to a multidisciplinary depth diagnosis of what has gone wrong in the world. He confronts some major obstacles related to the plausibility of sin-talk in conversation with evolutionary biology, the cognitive sciences, and animal ethology. He defends an Augustinian insistence that social evil, rather than natural evil, is our primary predicament. If the root cause of social evil is sin, then a Christian confession of sin may yet yield good news for the whole earth.

Integrating the New Science of Love and a Spirituality of Peace

Author : Christian E. Early,Annmarie L. Early
Publisher : Wipf and Stock Publishers
Page : 176 pages
File Size : 51,5 Mb
Release : 2013-11-01
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781620328712

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Integrating the New Science of Love and a Spirituality of Peace by Christian E. Early,Annmarie L. Early Pdf

"In Integrating the New Science of Love and a Spirituality of Peace, the contributors explore the intersection between the science of attachment theory and the vision of Anabaptism. What emerges is a deeper sense of what it means to be human and a hope for a different tomorow, inspired by the kingdom of God as preached by Jesus of Nazareth."

Minding Creation

Author : Joanna Leidenhag
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 215 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2020-12-10
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9780567696243

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Minding Creation by Joanna Leidenhag Pdf

Are humans the only creatures that can appreciate God's creation? What if consciousness is spread more widely across all things? This volume examines panpsychism through the lens of Christian doctrine. Minding Creation is the first substantial examination of what a panpsychist theory of consciousness implies for key theological debates concerning God's presence and action, evolution and the origin of the soul, human uniqueness and the environmental crisis. Joanna Leidenhag develops a theological panpsychism that is based on an exceptionally wide range of scholarship. Minding Creation draws on the theologies of historical figures such as Augustine of Hippo, Gottfried von Leibniz and others, in order to create a critical and constructive conversation with contemporary analytic philosophers of mind, such as Thomas Nagel, Galen Strawson, and David J. Chalmers. Leidenhag also discusses key concepts and issues, such as emergence theory, divine action, and ecology. She concludes that God created a universe from nothing which is filled with indwelling powers, sacramental value, and intrinsic experience. This is a creation in which the Holy Spirit is internally present at every point, a creation that worships God, and a creation that human beings must protect and lead in praise.

Transforming the Struggles of Tamars

Author : Lina Andronoviene
Publisher : Wipf and Stock Publishers
Page : 305 pages
File Size : 42,7 Mb
Release : 2014-05-29
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781630872939

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Transforming the Struggles of Tamars by Lina Andronoviene Pdf

This book explores the unprecedented challenge of involuntary singleness for women, and the implications of disregarding this challenge for the Christian (and particularly, baptistic) communities of faith. It argues that these communities not only fail involuntarily single women, but also in so doing, suffer a serious detriment to their own communal health and Christian witness. Taking the challenge of involuntary singleness as a test case, this book explores the method of convictional theology and argues for a holistic framework that can draw together the personal, communal, and visionary spheres of human existence. Although primarily a work of theological ethics, it also draws from a number of different disciplines, including cultural studies and sociology as well as intersections of science and theology.

Natural and Cosmic Theodicy

Author : Jongseock James Shin
Publisher : Wipf and Stock Publishers
Page : 291 pages
File Size : 42,5 Mb
Release : 2022-10-21
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781666791457

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Natural and Cosmic Theodicy by Jongseock James Shin Pdf

This book presents a third way to envision the Creatorship of the Triune God who is both compassionate and eschatologically redemptive in providential presence, rather than biasedly gravitating toward the openness of a self-limiting God or God’s all-determining sovereignty. Not only is God in, with, and under creation, God’s kenotic presence invites creatures to participate in the self-giving love of God through both general and special divine action in a top-down-through-bottom-up mode. Creatio continua is God’s own journey of fulfilling the eschatological promise for creation. This redemptive presence of God in creation is a Trinitarian co-protesting against the power of death, sin, and evil, considering the cosmic dimensions of the eschatological hope promised in the resurrection of Jesus. The new creation is the ultimate fulfillment of creaturely freedom and contingency divinely granted in creatio ex nihilo. In arguing this, Shin engages in a comparative and critical study of natural and cosmic theodicy advanced by Catherine Keller, Arthur Peacocke, Wolfhart Pannenberg, and Robert Russell.

Questions of Truth

Author : John Polkinghorne,Nicholas Beale
Publisher : Westminster John Knox Press
Page : 201 pages
File Size : 42,9 Mb
Release : 2009-01-19
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781611640038

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Questions of Truth by John Polkinghorne,Nicholas Beale Pdf

How did the universe begin? Can God's existence be proven? Do humans matter more than animals? For many years people have sent the scientist-turned-priest John Polkinghorne these and other questions about science and belief. In question-and-answer format, Polkinghorne and his collaborator Nicholas Beale offer their highly informed opinions about some of the most frequently asked of these questions. Readers can follow their own paths through the book, selecting questions that interest them and looking at the additional material if they choose. This unique book will help Christians clarify their beliefs regarding difficult issues and better face challenges--from within and from others--to their faith.

The Spike

Author : Mark Humphries
Publisher : Princeton University Press
Page : 232 pages
File Size : 43,5 Mb
Release : 2023-01-24
Category : Psychology
ISBN : 9780691241487

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The Spike by Mark Humphries Pdf

The story of a neural impulse and what it reveals about how our brains work We see the last cookie in the box and think, can I take that? We reach a hand out. In the 2.1 seconds that this impulse travels through our brain, billions of neurons communicate with one another, sending blips of voltage through our sensory and motor regions. Neuroscientists call these blips “spikes.” Spikes enable us to do everything: talk, eat, run, see, plan, and decide. In The Spike, Mark Humphries takes readers on the epic journey of a spike through a single, brief reaction. In vivid language, Humphries tells the story of what happens in our brain, what we know about spikes, and what we still have left to understand about them. Drawing on decades of research in neuroscience, Humphries explores how spikes are born, how they are transmitted, and how they lead us to action. He dives into previously unanswered mysteries: Why are most neurons silent? What causes neurons to fire spikes spontaneously, without input from other neurons or the outside world? Why do most spikes fail to reach any destination? Humphries presents a new vision of the brain, one where fundamental computations are carried out by spontaneous spikes that predict what will happen in the world, helping us to perceive, decide, and react quickly enough for our survival. Traversing neuroscience’s expansive terrain, The Spike follows a single electrical response to illuminate how our extraordinary brains work.

Neuroscience and the Soul

Author : Thomas M. Crisp,Steven Porter,Gregg A. Ten Elshof
Publisher : Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Page : 294 pages
File Size : 44,9 Mb
Release : 2016-11-20
Category : Religion
ISBN : 9781467446044

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Neuroscience and the Soul by Thomas M. Crisp,Steven Porter,Gregg A. Ten Elshof Pdf

An interdisciplinary look at arguments both for and against traditional belief in the soul It is a widely held belief that human beings are both body and soul, that our immaterial soul is distinct from our material body. But that traditional idea has been seriously questioned by much recent research in the brain sciences. In Neuroscience and the Soul fourteen distinguished scholars grapple with current debates about the existence and nature of the soul. Featuring a dialogical format, the book presents state-of-the-art work by leading philosophers and theologians—some arguing for the existence of the soul, others arguing against it—and then puts those scholars into conversation with critics of their views. Bringing philosophy, theology, and science together in this way brings to light new perspectives and advances the ongoing debate over body and soul. CONTRIBUTORS: Robin Collins John W. Cooper Kevin Corcoran Stewart Goetz William Hasker Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen Eric LaRock Brian Lugioyo J. P. Moreland Timothy O'Connor Jason D. Runyan Kevin Sharpe Daniel Speak Richard Swinburne