Neuroscience

1. Why is this an exciting time for philosophy? What are the two things that have changed?
It is exciting because philosopher have the access to new experimental studying instead of studying from the arm chair. Now they have new neuroscience that permits them to see images of the brain. Also philosophers try to understand what goes on in the brain.
2. What is the phenomenon of “blindsight” and what are the philosophical implications of this phenomenon?
The phenomenon of blindsight is where there is damage in your brain and that person lack conscience experience. They can’t see but a part of there brain still sees and lets them the action they are ask to do. This proved to philosophers that there isn’t only vision but as well the vision for action.
3. What are “mirror neurons” and what are the philosophical implications?
Mirror neurons are at a set of neurons that fire when we grasp an object and when we see someone doing the some action. These are the neurons that process what other people are doing. This helps philosophers to cross the barrier “self-another”
4. What is “alien hand syndrome” and what are the philosophical implications of this?
Alien hand syndrome is when people would touch there own arm and it would feel alien to them meaning that they would think that there arm is not theirs but someone else’s like a relative. Philosophers try to make sense of this and help neurosciences
5. How does Smith think that neuroscientists can help philosophers and philosophers can help neuroscientists?
Philosophers need help form neurosciences to understand what the sub-systems are. Neuroscience needs help from philosophers to explain neurological break downs.