From an unlicensed philosopher: reflections on brain, mind, society, culture--each other's environments with equal "ontologic standing".
Philosophic conclusions drawn from work with psychologically and morally injured combat veterans include that brain, mind, society, and culture "co-evolved." The four encompass the complete human phenomenon, but not all are reducible to the physical brain. None of the four are "ontologically prior" to the others, when viewed over the entire lifecycle. All four are what I call "each other's environments," with obligatory cross-boundary flows--each with each in both directions. Rigorous, but nonreductionist interdisciplinary research, in the vein of "evo-devo" in embryology, is called for in the study of the human phenomena. On the basis of these conclusions, I offer a few practical comments on clinical work with psychologically and morally injured combat veterans.
jshayinma@comcast.net
Jonathan
J
Shay
D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D003469:Culture; D006801:Humans; D010684:Philosophy; D012952:Societies; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*