上述したことがもし正しいのであれば、肉体から分離した精神(心)というようなものは存在しないと絶対的に断言できる,とは思わない。心理学の法則によって結合された(結合した)事象群はあるが、物理法則に元づいて結合された(結合した)事象群がないならば、肉体から分離した精神が存在することになるであろう。死んだ物質は物理法則によって配列され、心理学の法則によって配列されていない事象群からなりたっていることを、我々は躊躇なく信じている(信じる)。そうして(それならば),反対のこと(注:上述の,肉体から分離した精神)が生じないというアプリオリな理由はないようにみえる。我々はその(肉体から分離した精神が存在することの)経験的な証拠を持たないと言うことができるが、それ以上のことは言うことはできない。 |
If this theory is right, certain kinds of connection between mind and brain are inescapable. Corresponding to memory, for example, there must be some physical modifying of the brain, and mental life must be connected with physical properties of the brain tissue. In fact, if we had more knowledge, the physical and psychological statements would be seen to be merely different ways of saying the same thing. The ancient question of the dependence of mind on brain, or brain on mind, is thus reduced to linguistic convenience. In cases where we know more about the brain it will be convenient to regard the mind as dependent, but in cases where we know more about the mind it will be convenient to regard the brain as dependent. In either case, the substantial facts are the same, and the difference is only as to the degree of our knowledge. I do not think it can be laid down absolutely, if the above is right, that there can be no such thing as disembodied mind. There would be disembodied mind if there were groups of events connected according to the laws of psychology, but not according to the laws of physics. We readily believe that dead matter consists of groups of events arranged according to the laws of physics, but not according to the laws of psychology. And there seems no a priori reason why the opposite should not occur. We can say we have no empirical evidence of it, but more than this we cannot say. |