Brain Quote by John C. Eccles
““We regard promissory materialism as superstition without a rational foundation. The more we discover about the brain, the more clearly do we distinguish between the brain events and the mental phenomena, and the more wonderful do both the brain events and the mental phenomena become. Promissory materialism is simply a religious belief held by dogmatic materialists . . . who often confuse their religion with their science.””
About This Quote
Source Lecture: The Neurophysiology of Mind, 1970s
Materialism that treats mental phenomena as mere brain events lacks rational basis; brain and mind are distinct yet intertwined.
In simple terms: Brain and mind are not the same thing.
Key Takeaway
Recognize mental experiences as more than physical processes.
Themes
philosophy
neuroscience
mind-body
materialism
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
theoretical
analytical
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- personal reflection
- scientific research
Key Concepts
dualism
epistemology
ontology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you differentiate mental from neural events?
- Can science fully explain subjective experience?
A Different Perspective
Materialist views may oversimplify complex consciousness.
![“The real distinction between a material and spiritual worldview, [William] James wrote does not rest in "hair splitting abstraction about matter's inner essence, or about the metaphysical attributes of God. Materialism means simply the denial that the moral order is eternal, and the cutting off of…” quote by Barbara Bradley Hagerty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/42a/barbara-bradley-hagerty-37060_attributes-of-god_the-real-distinction-between-a-material_2658420.jpg)
