67
why do so many people think the brain is somehow totally isolated from the body? (leminal.space)
submitted 10 months ago by to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world
63 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

like the brain is literally encased in the body so how can it be separate? like if you go around licking lamp posts you're going to pick up some germ that's gonna make you feel like crap and you get insomnia or fever and your brain will definitely be impacted. and so you'll have short temper and that'll get you into trouble.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 2 points 10 months ago* (6 children)

The real flip side of your question is: do you think you'd still be you as a "brain in a vat" without any body?

Ultimately this whole discussion boils down to challenging the definition of "you" or "I". Biologically every "singular" person is the result of many living things working together, so the concept of "I" is an illusion. Physically, there is no "I", but only "us".

This makes the discussion easier. If the hand is removed, then of course "we" are different because "we" lost a piece of "us". This would also be true if "our" brain was removed.

Nevertheless, there have been cases of brain dead people's body adapting to the lack of central nervous system, so the body is more independently alive than we tend to give it credit.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 6 child comments
    •
  • [–] 4 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    Nevertheless, there have been cases of brain dead people's body adapting to the lack of central nervous system

    We're they on life support, or do you have an example of it happening without any outside assistance?

    so the body is more independently alive than we tend to give it credit.

    Being able to biologically adapt to a different control mechanism is cool, but it's not necessarily 'alive' depending on your definition. The biological mechanisms may still fire, but that doesn't mean that you're doing anything more than keeping a meat sack functioning while it otherwise atrophies.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago

    You are correct, the person was on life support. But they grew and went through puberty like any other normal functioning human. (I believe the person was born brain dead, and the wealthy parents couldn't let go so they kept the person on life support at home).

    Cells are living things by definition. So it is alive, though the body functions more like a tree than a mammal at that point. But a decentralized nervous system grew around the different vital organs.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • [+] 2 points 10 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)
    [deleted]
  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    You truly believe the semantics of the English language disproves the point? English and the way it defines "I" is greatly affected by things seperate from biological definitions (one being the spiritual concept of the "soul")

    Also, there did exist languages in other cultures that did not have the same concept of "I" as the English language. Your counter-argument is very weak.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •