Brain in relation to behavior - Maybe that's all there is?

Brain

• Different brains, different behaviors? Change in behavior, change in brain?
• Input/output boxes inside of input/output boxes - with "autonomy"
• Lots of possible interconnections of neurons - individuality
• Interconnected neurons yield patterns of activity - LOTS - perceiving/acting/thinking?
• Chemical involvement
• Changes with experience/use - an example

"Self" and ... ? The tacit/"I-function" complementarity

• The conscious/unconscious distinction
• Personal choice
• One way to put it all together

Ways of influencing the brain

• Surgery - crude, quick
• Psychopharmacology - somewhat less crude, may be somewhat slower
• Psychotherapy - still finer grain, takes longer
• Education - even more fine grain, may take even longer

Pros and cons of thinking about mental health in brain=behavior context

cons	pros
propensity to "medical model" attitude associated presumption of "illness" as distinct category associated assumption of perfectibility associated assumption of "patient" as object associated look for "quick fix" therapies	a "neurobiological model" attitude? accepts existence of innate influences, of continuous variation among individuals emphasizes importance as well of experience and of personal choice acknowledges that some kinds of changes take extended time at best, may not be achievable at worst incorporates cultural context dependence

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To explore in specific cases in the following ...

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