Anatomy & Physiology: The Unity of Form and Function, 7th Edition

Published by McGraw-Hill Education
ISBN 10: 0073403717
ISBN 13: 978-0-07340-371-7

Chapter 1 - Section 1.3 - Study Guide - Assess Your Learning Outcome - Page 24: 1

Answer

Rene Descartes was a revolutionary 17th century philosopher. He brought up the key argument over Nature vs Nurture. Descartes was a naturist, meaning he believed that the knowledge we have is innate and that children are born with certain mechanisms and abilities that are now considered genetic predispositions. He also believed in Mind-Body Dualism (also known as Cartesian Dualism), the idea that the mind is entirely distinct from the body. As a result, he pursued how the immaterial mind and physical body communicate. Dissecting animals, he found “animal spirits” in the brain fluid and theorized that the hollow nerves provoked movement/reflexes. The topic of Nature vs Nurture was essentially revolutionized by Descartes, leading to it being a key center of debate in the modern world of science. Francis Bacon was also a philosopher. He developed the idea of modern empiricism, the view that knowledge originates in sensory experience and that science should, therefore, rely on observation and experimentation. This is now called the scientific method, the foundation of modern day scientific inquiry.

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