René Descartes
René Descartes
This chapter discusses René Descartes, who is an essential historical figure. It studies his highly influential work, where he tried to show how human neurophysiology and behavior could be entirely explained using mechanistic terms. It shows that Descartes' neurophysiology imagined that the body's musculature would be activated by “animal spirits” that course down tubular nerves. It determines that his ideas were more related to metaphysics than with physiological and anatomical reality. This chapter also states that Descartes was the first to make all nature inanimate.
Keywords: René Descartes, human neurophysiology, inanimate, mechanistic terms, behavior, musculature, tubular nerves, metaphysics, anatomical reality
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