Justin Leiber (1993) Conscience and Commissurotomy
. Psycoloquy: 4(58) Split Brain (3)
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Psycoloquy 4(58): Conscience and Commissurotomy
CONSCIENCE AND COMMISSUROTOMY
Commentary on Puccetti on Split-Brain
Justin Leiber
Philosophy Department
University of Houston
Houston TX 77004.
PHIL4@Jetson.UH.EDU
Abstract
Puccetti confounds more or less countable brain parts
with the functions they more or less subserve. Neonates whose left
hemisphere is removed develop language and consciousness in the
right hemisphere. Elderly people who suffer the same procedure
generally do not. Despite Puccetti's claims, our moral intuitions
about the latter are better served by Dennett's theory than by the
alternative.
Keywords
cartesianism, cell death, cerebral dominance,
consciousness, hemispherectomy, lateralization, mental duality,
mental unity, multiple drafts, split brain.
References
- Dennett, D.C. (1991) Consciousness Explained. Boston: Little, Brown.
- Puccetti, R. (1993) Dennett on the Split-Brain. PSYCOLOQUY 4(52) split-brain.1.