Dr. Michael R. Egnor discusses the intersection of philosophy and neuroscience in today’s episode.

He is a research professor of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics at the State University of New York.

As an award-winning brain surgeon, Dr. Egnor brings a unique perspective to our discussion about the difference between the mind and the brain.

You can find additional articles written by Dr. Egnor at discovery.org.

Key takeaways:

• While operating on brains becomes easier with time, the interpersonal and emotional challenges of the job persist throughout the years.
• Modern materialism takes materialism to the extreme and suggests that we’re “just the machine.”
• The mind transcends the material.
• Aristotle suggested that one comes to know things by knowing both their form and matter.
• Humans are both body, soul, and spirit.

What to listen for:

• 01:45   Dr. Egnor describes what it is like to operate on a person’s brain. While he likens the operation to typing or playing the piano, he acknowledges the emotional and interpersonal challenges in his job.
• 09:01   Dr. Egnor explains his dualistic understanding of the mind vs. the brain.
• 16:29   The mind differs from the brain because it has the property of intentionality.
• 22:08   Dr. Egnor provides a thought experiment to explain that minds must transcend materials—the zombie problem.
• 24:02   How do human minds differ from other species?
• 28:41   Dr. Egnor explains the Aristotelian-Thomistic understanding of the mind.            

Reference materials:

Articles by Dr. Michael Egnor

Quotes:

“My wife jokes with me that meeting me is always the worst part of a person’s life.” 03:45

“The mind is the antithesis of computation.” 16:29

“We are a soul and body as one unit. The soul has powers of intellect and will. Though they are involved with the body, they do not come from the body.” 38:30

 “Human beings have a spirit in the sense that there are powers of the human mind that do not come from matter.” 44:20

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