The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
The Forum - On Line Opinion's article discussion area



Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Main Articles General

Sign In      Register

The Forum > Article Comments > In the kingdom of the mind > Comments

In the kingdom of the mind : Comments

By Tanveer Ahmed, published 18/2/2011

Our brains evolved in small, homogenous communities but are now faced with extraordinary diversity in a fast-changing, globalised knowledge economy.

  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. All
Tanveer Ahmed,
congratulations on a splendid splice of neurological and psychological insight. Great article, and a definite literary bent (touches of Maupassant) on show as well. I wonder if you're a fan of Adam Phillips?
It would be sheer pleasure to spend all day interrogating this article and offering counterarguments, but alas I don't have the time.
I do think the analytic sciences should avail themselves more of philosophy, as you have. And I think "you" might look at the continental tradition as much as the analytic.
I was surprised you never mentioned language in all of this; how much of the brain is devoted to it, and how much our conceptual world is pre-textualised, and whether we are capable of thinking outside the text, or even outside or in excess of our neural horizon (Whether there even exists an ontological reality?).
It seems to me humans "are" capable of transcending these, that we do it every day with simple anxiety--perceiving the cracks and even chasms in our constructed (or forced) realities.
I believe our "natures" are distorted under capitalism, that we are, as you imply, endlessly manipulated by the market, and more directly by marketing.
Human beings are incredibly creative in their adaptation to an aggressive world of scarcity. This is inspirationally and appallingly on show in impoverished countries, which you seem to elide--tacitly suggesting Westernism is a global reality?
Globalisation is indeed a western reality--but of gross disparities which distort "both" halves. For the wealthy half this creative capacity has largely degenerated into a merely passive, indeed exploited relationship with, and reception of, stimulus ("Stimulus" here being synonymous with "commodity"). Plugged-in Western consumers are hot-house plants that could not survive outside in the real.
Posted by Squeers, Friday, 18 February 2011 7:35:12 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Thanks Squeers,

I don’t get it. Is this article a celebration of medicine and its achievements or a show of erudition?

We have many Doctors, too many, and when it comes to medicine men, I would say; god forbid!

Medicine and the gigantic pharmaceutical corporations on which it sits have much to answer for the ills of humanity.

Oh Dr. Ahmed! Where is a pill to control our urge to prevail over our fellow man?
Posted by skeptic, Friday, 18 February 2011 10:35:54 AM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Dear Ahmed, an interesting article but it left me thinking that it lacks direction. Where is this taking us? Is it pointing to the fact that a better understanding of the human brain will help humans cope better with the modern world? Or help achieve social equity and justice? Or is it that we can achieve a better understanding of “human nature”?

I’m afraid this just doesn’t do anything for me.

There seems to be some basic confusion about knowledge. When you say “Our brains evolved in small, homogenous communities but are now faced with extraordinary diversity in a fast-changing, globalised knowledge economy”, this is not quite right. What we have is rule based information societies, not knowledge.

Knowledge is an “action”. Brain Surgeons have information and knowledge because they can perform the surgery and apply cures. This applies to most professions. Societies are information based; they have lots of information (ingredients) but no recipes.

Your other key assertion that “We could even be on the verge of a new Enlightenment - one in which the concept of the individual autonomously making rational decisions is usurped by a new, more complex understanding of the forces that shape human nature.”

This implies confusion between education and intelligence. We have never and cannot teach “intelligence” in our schools and universities. Might I suggest the “an understanding of the forces that shape human nature”, might tell us something about what we are now however, to achieve “ enlightenment” requires us to become a benign species, so understanding our evolution into our current state is no help at all.

Our societies already recognize our selfishness, greed, envy, belligerence et al. Thousands of religions and millions of social rules have had absolutely no impact for thousands of years. We have not changed one iota. It’s just that we can screw up on an even bigger scale nowadays.

When you can identify “intelligence”, its source and state of evolution, you might have something of significance.
Posted by spindoc, Friday, 18 February 2011 12:24:52 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
Sceptic,
I can relate to what I think you're getting at; it seems we've lost the capacity to "just live" to an obsessive determination to endure, to multiply, to prosper and to "experience". Experience (and experiences)is now something we anticipate, desire, pursue, analyse and above all "possess", rather than something we gather inevitably and unselfconsciously.
I don't celebrate this new state of consciousness, the epitome of Westernism, especially when this obsession for longevity, experience and satisfaction has no higher aim than indulgence for its own sake.
I agree that the psychiatric and pharmaceutical industries are opportunistic, symtomally conscripting consumers into a "sick" culture, psychiatric treatment and drugs being the ultimate commodified treatment (read indulgence). It's difficult to say what percentage of the droves of the "mentally ill" are "cultivated" for these industries, compared with those who are genuinely "afflicted". And of those genuinely afflicted it is a moot question how many of them suffer from an individualised malady, as opposed to the "illness" much more likely being a cultural one. It is a sick culture that neads treatment and not its narcissistic individuals.
All these things interest me greatly, but I don't worship at the shrine of empirical science like, perhaps, Tanveer Ahmed does. Indeed it's about time the scientists woke up to and acknowledged the fact that they are instruments of the state and thus instrumental in the social evils perpetrated by the state.
Posted by Squeers, Friday, 18 February 2011 3:51:23 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
much like spindoc ..im not getting what your getting at
[i note the change of title?]..[away from ..'ways of seing text']

the mind is not a king-dom
just the thousands on connections ..indicate more a kin-dom[ain]

for that matter also ..you talk of neurons/brain etc
but miss the mind ..thing all together

considering your a phychatryst..you also dont mention much about the affects of poisens booze or drugs on the brain..[let alone on the mind]....

[im with those feeling ..its a quack science]..
that neuroligists have more valid application
[standing]..than pshyciratisist/phycologists..

any-thing that makes judgment calls
on what is said ..from a phycotic-mind ..just has to be suss

if there isnt actual physical evidencve..your pills and potions arnt going to re-educate a mind damaged by others influence..[be they via other abusive beings or drugs]

you also missout on the other mind in-fluences like those claiming hauntings or voices or even attention deficite ..ie the drugging of little children minds with legal lsd type stuff

as well as the other drugs in the nmews where people do things unconciously..and so much other stuff ..you dont even attempt to rationalise

drugs dont fix things
they hide the symptoms
make them mindnumb..docile..or even placeabo affect

but sure as heck dont install the king
back into his kingdumb

anyhow going to see if page two is any better
staying calm ..so as to not get a stroke

why am i so angry?
i refused to see one of you nutters
to get a pension re-instatted..[no letter no payment]

didnt want to see him collect 300 bucks medical care cash ..for a letter..and have him read back ..what i told him last time..10 years ago..
Posted by one under god, Friday, 18 February 2011 6:22:00 PM
Find out more about this user Visit this user's webpage Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
One thing the mind isn't & that's a rubbish bin. Once crap gets into it it can't be tossed out again !
Posted by individual, Friday, 18 February 2011 8:19:00 PM
Find out more about this user Recommend this comment for deletion Return to top of page Return to Forum Main Page Copy comment URL to clipboard
  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. All

About Us :: Search :: Discuss :: Feedback :: Legals :: Privacy