First Advisor

Howe, Jonathan

Second Advisor

Shelton, Fr. Charles, SJ

College

Regis College

Degree Name

BA

School

Regis College Senior Honors Program

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Number of Pages

57 pages

Abstract

Through "Falling a house of cards: Rediscovering a humanist language in an age of neuroreduction," I argue that the language games specific to both neuroscience research and psychological treatment have becoming nonsensically intertwined, leading to commodification of treatment and patient abuse. I first examine the historical perspective of reductionism in science that enabled this linguistic blending, starting with Descartes and tracing its lineage to the modern times. I then expound on the nonsensical nature of modern neuroscience through a Wittgensteinian lens, and finally conclude with an examination of the social consequences produced by this linguistic confusion. The primary critique leveled is an argument coming from the field of mereology and entitled the mereological fallacy, where concepts of the whole creature are inappropriately and nonsensically attributed to specific parts of that creature. Ultimately, my thesis stands as an argument against the translational use of reductionism from research paradigms to treatment protocols.

Date of Award

Spring 2013

Location (Creation)

Colorado (state); Denver (county); Denver (inhabited place)

Rights Statement

All content in this Collection is owned by and subject to the exclusive control of Regis University and the authors of the materials. It is available only for research purposes and may not be used in violation of copyright laws or for unlawful purposes. The materials may not be downloaded in whole or in part without permission of the copyright holder or as otherwise authorized in the “fair use” standards of the U.S. copyright laws and regulations.

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