Re: Values and emotions
DON MIKULECKY (MIKULECKY@VCUVAX.BITNET)
Thu, 2 Feb 1995 08:26:12 -0400
Don Mikulecky, MCV/VCU....Mikulecky@gems.vcu.edu
On physiology and emotion: Being a physiologist and a neurophysiologist
by training, I, too will look with eagerness at ANYTHING which professes
to give insight into a physiological basis for emotion. Remember that
physiology is the MOST MECHANISTIC area in biology , with the possible
exception of molecular biology. Thus the link between any claims made
and reality may be tenuous at best. Realize that the conversations
going on here would be looked upon as pseudoscience and witchcraft
in my department. There are anatomical regions of the brain which
are associated with emotion and chemical changes which correlate in
very loose ways, but but the notion that we have a complex, hierarchical
system is certainly not one that gets a lot of attention. There are
new books out by both Penrose and Searle which I would recommend in
place of still more of the reductionist attempts to see how the
"machine" works. I like Bruce's original formulation of his
question, which seemed to recognize the nature of the problem.
I've been away for a few days so forgive me if I repeat others.
I`ll catch up as quickly as I can. Don Mikulecky