Genetics and the Ghost in the Machine

Genetics and the Ghost in the Machine

In the book, The Concept of Mind published in 1949, the philosopher Gilbert Ryle argued that René Descartes' separation of the 'mind' from the 'body' and treating them as two separate entities is a 'philosophical illusion'. In his book he suggests that Cartesian dualism is like thinking of man as a machine haunted by a ghost. Ryle's work is meant to repudiate Descartes' assertion and many regard his work as putting the final nail on the coffin of Cartesian dualism.

The mind-body dualism is the view held that mental phenomena are essentially non-physical; and where the mind and the body can be regarded as being distinct entities and separate from each other.

In my book, I apply ideas and concepts drawn from the science of genetics to explore the human biology as a 'machine' in the hope of coming to terms with the ghost in the machine. At the end of my journey, my search has led me to accept the existence of an 'entity' that satisfies the criteria of being non-physical and, in some respects, acting independently of the body.

Dettagli