Table of contents (expand)
14. THE DOCTRINE OF THE REFLEX
To the famous discoveries of the XVII century. includes the discovery of the reflex nature of behavior.
The term "reflex" appeared in the physics of R. Descartes. This concept meant the end of the mechanistic picture of the world and contained the behavior of living beings. The concept of R. Descartes was formed at a time when the analysis of the body and its functions made a real revolution in anatomical and physiological research. A crushing blow to medieval biology, which believed that "essences" and "forms" are the fundamental factors of phenomena, was dealt by William Harvey's discovery of the mechanism of blood circulation. A similar breakthrough was made by R. Descartes' discovery of the reflex nature of behavior, which can be called the product of the same attitude and the same ideological spirit.
R. Descartes started from the fact that the interaction of organisms with surrounding bodies can be explained by a nervous machine, consisting of the brain as a center and nerve “tubes” spreading out in radii from it. The absence of any precise information about the nature of the nervous process forced R. Descartes to depict it on the model of the circulatory process, the knowledge of which acquired reliable reference points through experimental study. Although R. Descartes does not have the concept of “reflex,” the main outlines of this term are outlined quite clearly.
The emergence of the concept of a reflex is the result of the introduction into psychophysiology of schemes that have been formed under the influence of the views of optics and mechanics. The extension of physical categories to the dynamism of the organism made it possible to comprehend it deterministically, to withdraw it from the motivated influence of the soul as a special entity.
In accordance with the Cartesian model, external objects act on the peripheral endings of the nerve "threads" located inside the neural "tubes". The latter, stretching, open the valves of the openings leading from the brain to the nerves, through the channels of which the "animal spirits" are sent to the proper muscles, which are eventually "inflated". Tracing the path that animal spirits travel along the nerves from receptors to the brain, then to the muscles, R. Descartes created an image of a reflex arc.
Centuries later, the hypothesis that the relationship of muscle reactions with the sensations that provoke them can be modified, transformed, and thereby give the behavior the desired course, will be the basis of David Hartley's materialistic associative psychology.
The German physician and chemist G. E. Shtil (1660-1734) opposed the reflex principle. He argued that there is only a visible identity between life processes and the facts of physics and chemistry, and that not a single organic function is realized mechanically, but everything is verified by the experiencing soul.
Author: Anokhina Z.V.
<< Back: Empirical direction of psychology in Spain
>> Forward: Sensory-associative processes
We recommend interesting articles Section Lecture notes, cheat sheets:
▪ Criminalistics. Lecture notes
▪ Advertising. Crib
▪ Faculty Therapy. Lecture notes
See other articles Section Lecture notes, cheat sheets.
Read and write useful comments on this article.
<< Back
Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:
The existence of an entropy rule for quantum entanglement has been proven
09.05.2024
Quantum mechanics continues to amaze us with its mysterious phenomena and unexpected discoveries. Recently, Bartosz Regula from the RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing and Ludovico Lamy from the University of Amsterdam presented a new discovery that concerns quantum entanglement and its relation to entropy. Quantum entanglement plays an important role in modern quantum information science and technology. However, the complexity of its structure makes understanding and managing it challenging. Regulus and Lamy's discovery shows that quantum entanglement follows an entropy rule similar to that for classical systems. This discovery opens new perspectives in the field of quantum information science and technology, deepening our understanding of quantum entanglement and its connection to thermodynamics. The results of the study indicate the possibility of reversibility of entanglement transformations, which could greatly simplify their use in various quantum technologies. Opening a new rule ... >>
Mini air conditioner Sony Reon Pocket 5
09.05.2024
Summer is a time for relaxation and travel, but often the heat can turn this time into an unbearable torment. Meet a new product from Sony - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-air conditioner, which promises to make summer more comfortable for its users. Sony has introduced a unique device - the Reon Pocket 5 mini-conditioner, which provides body cooling on hot days. With it, users can enjoy coolness anytime, anywhere by simply wearing it around their neck. This mini air conditioner is equipped with automatic adjustment of operating modes, as well as temperature and humidity sensors. Thanks to innovative technologies, Reon Pocket 5 adjusts its operation depending on the user's activity and environmental conditions. Users can easily adjust the temperature using a dedicated mobile app connected via Bluetooth. Additionally, specially designed T-shirts and shorts are available for convenience, to which a mini air conditioner can be attached. The device can oh ... >>
Energy from space for Starship
08.05.2024
Producing solar energy in space is becoming more feasible with the advent of new technologies and the development of space programs. The head of the startup Virtus Solis shared his vision of using SpaceX's Starship to create orbital power plants capable of powering the Earth. Startup Virtus Solis has unveiled an ambitious project to create orbital power plants using SpaceX's Starship. This idea could significantly change the field of solar energy production, making it more accessible and cheaper. The core of the startup's plan is to reduce the cost of launching satellites into space using Starship. This technological breakthrough is expected to make solar energy production in space more competitive with traditional energy sources. Virtual Solis plans to build large photovoltaic panels in orbit, using Starship to deliver the necessary equipment. However, one of the key challenges ... >>
| Random news from the Archive Could there be dark matter at the center of the sun?
30.09.2010
In physics, there is a problem of solar neutrinos: their flux, fixed by neutrino observatories, is small for nuclear reactions taking place there. In an attempt to get out, physicists put forward the idea of oscillations: on the way to the Earth, solar neutrinos pass from one type to another. This idea seems to be supported by complex experiments. However, there is an opinion that oscillations have nothing to do with it, and the whole point is in the imperfection of registration methods.
And Dr. Stephen West from the University of London proposed a hypothesis, from which one more solution to the problem of solar neutrino deficiency follows indirectly. Every galaxy has a halo of dark matter around it. The sun, moving along the galactic orbit, inevitably sweeps up dark matter, and its particles gather in the center of the star (recall that there the force of gravity is zero and a kind of gravitational trap is obtained).
As West's calculation showed, these particles can absorb the heat of the solar core and re-radiate it outward, thereby lowering the observed temperature of the central region and raising it at the outer one. Because of this, the number of neutrinos emitted by the Sun will be less than expected according to the existing model. It is this difference that Dr. West is going to reveal in order to prove the validity of his hypothesis.
However, in this case, an unexpected result may turn out: that if dark matter provides the entire deficit of solar neutrinos, then oscillations will have nothing to do with it. Oscillations of solar neutrinos are a very important phenomenon, because they are possible only if the neutrino has mass.
|
Other interesting news:
▪ Bath of the Mayan Indians
▪ Fuel from photosynthesis
▪ migraine on blood test
▪ Drone vs Fighter
▪ Grazing robot
News feed of science and technology, new electronics
Interesting materials of the Free Technical Library:
▪ section of the site Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering. Article selection
▪ article Hey, Moska! know she is strong... Popular expression
▪ article Who was Xanthippe? Detailed answer
▪ article Elevator grain processing operator. Standard instruction on labor protection
▪ article Humidity sensors for windshield wipers. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering
▪ article A handkerchief goes from blue to white and vice versa. Focus Secret
Leave your comment on this article:
All languages of this page
Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews
www.diagram.com.ua
2000-2024
Arabic
Bengali
Chinese
English
French
German
Hebrew
Hindi
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Malay
Polish
Portuguese
Spanish
Turkish
Ukrainian
Vietnamese