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Leibniz was an idealist. He lived in peculiar ideological waters: he was Christian. He had to believe that there's the mind, there's reality, and both never tou
by lolcraft 15y ago
Leibniz was an idealist. He lived in peculiar ideological waters: he was Christian. He had to believe that there's the mind, there's reality, and both never touch. If he ever went out the party line, the inquisition would take care of him.
According to Leibniz, neurons can't exist. Exercise does not improve your mood. Brain surgery is useless. Caffeine does not work. Hormones do nothing. Coma is unexplainable by definition. And so on.
Reality killed Leibniz.
- lists 15y agoActually the theory of monads bypasses the mind/body dualism by asserting a kind of synchrony. Spinoza made the same move in a different way by claiming God is the multi-dimensional plane of existence whose varying realms (mind and extension [body] being just two of an infinite number) are completely synchronousness. You're also off with the Christian comment since Leibniz wasn't within the domain of the Catholic church.
- michaeldhopkins 15y agoSt. Luke understood the brain to be the home of mental faculty and the situation never really changed. Especially once Aristotle re-appeared, the brain was definitely understood as an organ that processes sensory input can be affected like other organs. Caffeine, exercise, possibility of surgery all known. Brain speculated to be involved in comas. Existence of neurons speculated.