A good article in the current issue of "Free Inquiry": Exorcising the Homunculus: There’s no one behind the curtain by David C. Noelle http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/noelle_21_2.html From the conclusion: "The traditional view of the will as a kind of little man in your head needs to be replaced by a detailed account of how neural tissue gives rise to controlled behavior. Preliminary attempts to understand the mechanisms of executive control have found that they do not form an isolated psychological faculty, but are heavily dependent on other psychological processes, including emotional response. Initial attempts to dissect the mental executive have identified critical roles for a frontal working memory system and a limbic reward-prediction system. The scientific exorcism of the homunculus continues, hoping to produce a clear view of how mere flesh can give rise to our most deliberate and considered actions." -- Jeffry P. Ricker, Ph.D. Office Phone: (480) 423-6213 9000 E. Chaparral Rd. FAX Number: (480) 423-6298 Psychology Department [EMAIL PROTECTED] Scottsdale Community College Scottsdale, AZ 85256-2626 Listowner: Psychologists Educating Students to Think Skeptically (PESTS) http://www.sc.maricopa.edu/sbscience/pests/index.html
