Ghost in the Machine

The "Ghost in the Machine" is a metaphor in philosophy. The philosopher Gilbert Ryle called mind the Ghost in the Machine, and the idea that it was separate from the brain was the mistaken "official doctrine".^[1]^[2]

Ryle was referring to René Descartes' mind-body dualism.^[3] In dualist systems like Descartes', mental activity carries on in parallel to physical action, but the means of interaction are unknown or speculative.^[4] Ryle thought this was absurd, and as a kind of error which he called a "category mistake". It is like saying something like "cars move by motive spirit".

References

↑ Ryle, Gilbert. 1949. The concept of mind. London: Hutchinson. p15–18 The absurdity of the official doctrine. ISBN 0-226-73295-9
↑ Pinker, Steven 2002. The blank slate: the modern denial of human nature. London/New York: Putnam Penguin. Chapter 1 The official theory: p8–11. ISBN 0-670-03151-8
↑ Descartes knew that Galileo's methods of scientific discovery could provide mechanical explanations for every occupant of space, but he was convinced that mental activities were not just a more complex variety of the mechanical.
↑ Tanney, Julia 2007. "Gilbert Ryle", in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

[Ryle-1] Ryle, Gilbert. 1949. The concept of mind. London: Hutchinson. p15–18 The absurdity of the official doctrine. ISBN 0-226-73295-9

[Pinker-2] Pinker, Steven 2002. The blank slate: the modern denial of human nature. London/New York: Putnam Penguin. Chapter 1 The official theory: p8–11. ISBN 0-670-03151-8

[3] Descartes knew that Galileo's methods of scientific discovery could provide mechanical explanations for every occupant of space, but he was convinced that mental activities were not just a more complex variety of the mechanical.

[tanney-4] Tanney, Julia 2007. "Gilbert Ryle", in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

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