back to ideas for this text


Single Idea 6261

[from 'Apology for Raymond Sebond' by Michel de Montaigne, in 15. Nature of Minds / A. Nature of Mind / 1. Mind / d. Location of mind ]

Full Idea

The seat of the powers of the soul is in the brain, as is clearly shown by the fact that wounds and accidents affecting the head immediately harm the faculties of the soul.

Gist of Idea

The soul is in the brain, as shown by head injuries

Source

Michel de Montaigne (Apology for Raymond Sebond [1580], p.0614)

Book Reference

Montaigne,Michel de: 'The Complete Essays', ed/tr. Screech,M.A. [Penguin 1987], p.614


A Reaction

At last someone has finally got the facts clear. It seems surprising that the Greeks never clearly grasped this piece of irrefutable evidence - even those Greeks who speculated that the brain was the key. Here we have a fixed fact of philosophy of mind.