This is a question of nature vs nurture. I think of a situation like two boys who have the same chemical imbalance in the brain, one boy grows up in a loving family with a great childhood, the other one grows up in a dysfunctional family whose mother sexually molests him. If the brain accounted for everything (all behaviors) then both boys would grow up sex offenders. This could also be true for those who are religious. They have a belief in God, which is described to be spiritual. Perhaps, it is more chemical, maybe the environment of being in a church community releases positive chemical charges. One can rationalize any beliefs or any behaviors of someone through explanations of the brain but that is not necessarily the entire story. This is a very philosophical question. Many people hope that there is more to us then all inputs and outputs. I don't know what the brain CAN NOT account for. I can rationalize everything in terms of the brain but I don't think it is only the brain. I am hoping this class will bring a little clarification to the subject of the capabilities of the human brain.

We'll try. In meanwhile, remember to keep in mind that the brain is not a fixed but rather a constantly varying thing, affected by its own activity (resulting from, among other things, experiences). So the brains in the two boys, if their experiences were different, would be expected to be different. PG