Title

Qualitative Facets Of The Problem Statement

Abstract

Over the last century, the predominant research model for science, including naturalistically oriented social sciences and psychology, was physics, which enjoyed undeniable success. At present, however, biology is broadly considered a point of reference for research in cognitive processes. This change is significant as research in physics focusing on general regularities of the physical world inherently excludes the human mind from its investigations. For a long time, this approach has been responsible for perceiving the mind as mysterious and difficult to grasp scientifically (Pinker 1999). On the other hand, all attempts to naturalize mental reality in the physicalist spirit could provoke justified anxiety of antinaturalists opposing this “objectivist” approach (Trzopek 2006). This situation seems [now] to be changing. Edelman (1992) qualify this change as “putting the mind back into nature.” As biologically oriented researchers emphasize, the mind is a process whose foundation is a particular biological organization of matter, and as such it can be subjected to both scientific research and explanation with the use of neurobiological tools. Strictly physicalist methods, however fundamental to science, prove insufficient. Although physics constitutes a necessary basis for biology, it does not investigate biological structures, processes, or principles (Edelman 1992, 18-19; Koch 2004, 312). This is particularly evident as biology, in contrast to physics, is characterized by few stringent rules and laws. As a result of natural selection, a whole hierarchy of complex mechanisms has emerged. All this is responsible for the fact that biology-based naturalism differs in its character from the former simplified physicalist naturalism.

Publication Date

1-1-2012

Publication Title

Advances in Cognitive Engineering and Neuroergonomics

Number of Pages

33-42

Document Type

Article; Book Chapter

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1201/b12313

Socpus ID

85055858855 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85055858855

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