Mind, Brain and the Elusive Soul: Human Systems of Cognitive Science and Religion (Ashgate Science and Religion Series)

"Does science argue against the existence of the human soul? Many scientists and scholars believe the whole is more than the sum of the parts. This book uses information and systems theory to describe the "more" that does not reduce to the parts. One sees this in the synapses - or apparently empty gaps between the neurons in one's brain - where informative relationships give rise to human mind, culture, and spirituality. Drawing upon the disciplines of cognitive science, computer science, neuroscience, general systems theory, pragmatic philosophy, and Christian theology, Mark Graves reinterprets the traditional doctrine of the soul as form of the body to frame contemporary scientific study of the human soul."--BOOK JACKET MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict MuPDF error: syntax error: invalid key in dict Contents 6 List of Figures 8 List of Tables 10 Acknowledgements 12 1 Mind 14 Philosophy of Mind 15 Science and Religion 19 Cognitive Science and Religion 28 Mind, Self, and Nature 37 2 Systems Theory 44 Introduction 44 Systems Theory 45 Philosophical Form 49 Constraints 58 Modeling Dynamic Forms as Systems 64 3 Levels of Human Existence 74 Introduction 74 Organizing Levels of Interacting Systems 76 Subatomic Level 93 Relational Perspectives 97 4 Emergence of Water: Emergence of Life 106 Emergence in the World 106 Framing Emergence 113 Theories of Emergence 118 Orders of Emergence 124 5 Spiritual Relationships 140 Transcendent-Level Phenomena 141 Royce’s Philosophy of Community 149 Irenaean Spirituality 157 Abraham’s Faith 161 6 Brain 166 Introduction 166 Brain Science 167 Perception 174 Memory and Learning 175 Human Decision-Making 184 7 American Pragmatism 190 Introduction 190 Pragmatic Metaphysics 192 Process Metaphysics 204 Pragmatic Anthropology 208 Pragmatic Foundation for Systems 212 8 The Elusive Soul 218 Introduction 218 Decisive Self 220 Dynamic Form of the Body 227 Spiritual Dimension of Soul 232 Bibliography 236 Index 248 A 248 B 248 C 249 D 250 E 250 F 250 G 251 H 251 I 252 J 252 K 252 L 252 M 252 N 253 O 253 P 253 Q 254 R 254 S 254 T 256 U 256 V 256 W 256 Z 257