In Catholic theology transubstantiation describes how during mass bread and wine are converted into the body and blood of Christ. For believers, how this happens exactly is a mystery. Also mysterious is how energy and information absorbed by an organism is converted into mental activity. …
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Exploring human mentality’s evolution, this essay hypothesizes four types of bicameral mentality, their association with social complexities, and the continuity of lateralized brain structures shaping duplex psychology. Jaynes’ concept of a two-tiered mentality is linked to historical shifts and social control, with vestigial hallucinations and language intricacies playing fundamental roles. As human societies advanced, the essay traces a shift from external divine guidance to the rise of conscious interiority and self-reflexivity paralleling social and technological progress.
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Bissell and Kolhatkar modernize Aristotle’s ethics, deftly incorporating contemporary social sciences to explore self-actualization and human essence, challenging traditional views and highlighting the need for a society that nurtures individual flourishing. Their insightful integration of philosophy with real-world empiricism offers fresh perspectives on achieving a meaningful life.
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We accept as fact the magical transformation of species (Darwinian evolution), the warping of spatiotemporal fabric (Einsteinian astrophysics), and the superposition of particles and “spooky action at a distance” (quantum mechanics)….
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A word of thanks to all those who tested their knowledge of Jaynes’s theory by taking the quizzes. In an earlier blog, “Julian Jaynes Is …
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Scott Alexander begins his review of Jaynes’s The Origin of Consciousness with an odd opening. He describes it as “brilliant” and writes that it only has “two minor flaws”:
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In the second chapter of “The World behind the World: Consciousness, Free Will, and the Limits of Science,” Erik Hoel briefly treats the historical …
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People commonly confuse and conflate sensory perception with Jaynesian consciousness. Indeed, this is why in much of my writing I have stressed their distinction. However, here I argue that despite their important differences, they are nevertheless intimately related.
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The nature-versus-nurture debate has framed discussions about the origins of mind for centuries: Is it innate or acquired? Has it biologically evolved or is it better understood as the product of historical development…
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Academics make progress when they are inspired by the cross-pollination of ideas, and most researchers, arguably, utilize a multi-disciplinary approach to some degree, …