Philosophy
Water is what philosophers call a natural kind, that is it is a thing found in nature that has a grouping definable in terms of purely natural properties. Water isn't just related to having the chemical make-up of H2O, to be water IS to have the chemical make-up of H2O.
What about pain? Pain is certainly a real thing. It is correlated with certain things happening within the brain, but is pain nothing but those things happening within the brain? Is the brain state that causes pain the same thing as the experienced pain? Is pain a physiological phenomenon or is it something else caused by or correlated with a physiological phenomenon?
- Moquito Bites And World Records
JB asks, Why does our brain trigger us to itch a mosquito bite? It doesn't seem to accomplish anything useful...Nothing useful at all. We have two sets of nerves in our bodies, one for sensing big impacts on the body and one for sensing...
- Pain And Boredom As Endangered Emotions?
The shorter of the short people is a catcher and in a game last weekend he took two good foul tips off the glove arm, one on the bicep and one on the forearm. You could see the tears welling up behind the mask, but both times he shook off the coach who...
- Play It Again, Sam...or Should He?
Of course, the line "Play it again, Sam" never actually appears in Casablanca. What Ilsa says is, "Play it one time Sam, for old time's sake...Play it Sam, play 'As Time Goes By'." I'm interested in Sam's predicament here. For those...
- Responsibility For Unintended Consequences
Are we responsible for that pain which our actions have caused, but which we did not intend to create? So last night I go to do my stand-up bit and the audience was filled with friends and relatives. People from every part of my life, TheWife and LilBro...
- Itchy And Scratchy--pain And Pleasure
A human phenomenon that irritates and provides pleasure. Itches...from allergies, noxious plants, pesky insects, disease, infections, wound healing...and it does feel good to scratch. Scratching does come with a risk--more infection. Why would pleasure...
Philosophy
Is Pain Like Water?
Water is what philosophers call a natural kind, that is it is a thing found in nature that has a grouping definable in terms of purely natural properties. Water isn't just related to having the chemical make-up of H2O, to be water IS to have the chemical make-up of H2O.
What about pain? Pain is certainly a real thing. It is correlated with certain things happening within the brain, but is pain nothing but those things happening within the brain? Is the brain state that causes pain the same thing as the experienced pain? Is pain a physiological phenomenon or is it something else caused by or correlated with a physiological phenomenon?
- Moquito Bites And World Records
JB asks, Why does our brain trigger us to itch a mosquito bite? It doesn't seem to accomplish anything useful...Nothing useful at all. We have two sets of nerves in our bodies, one for sensing big impacts on the body and one for sensing...
- Pain And Boredom As Endangered Emotions?
The shorter of the short people is a catcher and in a game last weekend he took two good foul tips off the glove arm, one on the bicep and one on the forearm. You could see the tears welling up behind the mask, but both times he shook off the coach who...
- Play It Again, Sam...or Should He?
Of course, the line "Play it again, Sam" never actually appears in Casablanca. What Ilsa says is, "Play it one time Sam, for old time's sake...Play it Sam, play 'As Time Goes By'." I'm interested in Sam's predicament here. For those...
- Responsibility For Unintended Consequences
Are we responsible for that pain which our actions have caused, but which we did not intend to create? So last night I go to do my stand-up bit and the audience was filled with friends and relatives. People from every part of my life, TheWife and LilBro...
- Itchy And Scratchy--pain And Pleasure
A human phenomenon that irritates and provides pleasure. Itches...from allergies, noxious plants, pesky insects, disease, infections, wound healing...and it does feel good to scratch. Scratching does come with a risk--more infection. Why would pleasure...