Sie sind auf Seite 1von 3

PS1004 Book Review Student Number: 130004043

1
Making up the Mind: How the Brain creates our Mental World
Frith, C. 2007

The freewill debate is compelling such that humans may strongly believe in the total
control they have over their actions. In actuality, the brain is more dominant and secretive
than we think; it makes decisions for us before we become aware of it. In Making Up The
Mind, Chris Frith argues that our knowledge of the world depends solely on the brain,
which creates illusions that make us believe we are directly interacting with the world.
Frith explains the relationship between the brain and the mind, supporting his claims with
empirical evidence from psychological experiments and case studies. He describes how
technological advances, particularly the introduction of brain scanners, enabled him to
carry out scientific research, making his theories more credible.

The book begins with an anecdote of Friths experience as a psychologist who is reluctant
to label himself as one, due to their low position on the science hierarchy. This provides
the reader with insight into Friths life, which is significant in identifying with the author.
Similar books such as The Blank Slate by Steven Pinker begin with fundamental issues,
however Frith familiarises the reader with his style of writing before discussing his
research.

In reviewing the importance of referencing, Frith provides his readers with basic
knowledge of psychology, indicating that the book is aimed at students. Similarly, by
admitting his uncertainty of the functions of MRI, Frith appears relatable. His simple, yet
entertaining style of writing, paired with his ability to discuss well-known ideas with a
different outlook, makes his book suitable for those seeking general knowledge on
neuroscience, as well as experts in the field. In the prologue, Frith introduces the Professor
of English, a sceptic character who challenges his ideas, whilst asking questions the reader
would probably consider, making them feel more engaged with the book. At the end of
the prologue, Frith clearly states the objective of his book, which is to demonstrate the
false distinction between the mental and physical worlds, whilst proving that the brain
hides the unconscious interferences it makes from us. (p. 17)

In Part I of the book, Frith compels us to question our experiences of the physical world,
as well as the idea of freewill. He explains how our knowledge of the physical world is
derived from our senses; and accordingly, damaged senses would result in a lesser ability to
explore the world. (p. 21) The wide range of information in Part I suggests that Frith
intended to reach a wide audience. I found some areas of the book unexciting as certain
topics were fairly intricate for me as a student of psychology, but this might not be the
case for an expert in the field. Friths approaches to new topics were occasionally complex,
particularly in Chapter 3 where he explores the problem of privileged access, explaining
that there is no distinction between the body and the rest of the physical world. (p. 61)
Although insightful, this is a topic Frith could have explained further, leading to my next
point regarding the book seeming rushed. In an attempt to fit several complex ideas into a
193-paged book, Frith either overstressed basic topics such as visual hallucinations, and
condensed challenging topics such as privileged access. For this reason, I would suggest
doing some extensive reading beforehand.


PS1004 Book Review Student Number: 130004043
2
In explaining the brains ability to make unconscious decisions, Frith provides evidence
from Libet (1993) in which changes in brain activity were monitored with an
electroencephalogram (EEG) that measured electrical activity in the brain before
participants carried out an action. Although Frith believes this confirms the idea that our
voluntary actions are predetermined, the experiment ignores the role of freewill and the
participants conscious choice in deciding whether to act on their urge to lift a particular
finger. (Ursin, 2012) Consequently, Frith brashly states that we are deluded in thinking
we have freewill. (pp. 66-68) However, he later argues that our brain making a choice
before we act does not mean that we did not choose our action freely, but rather our
action was determined by a choice we previously made deliberately. Philosophers also
argue that unconscious decisions merely flow from our characters and preferences (BBC
Radio 4, 2011).

Overall, the frequent contradictory points, alongside Friths overuse of footnotes, made
Part I of the book somewhat frustrating to read. While they provided facts to back up
Friths ideas, making the book more useful to those who wish to read further into certain
topics, the footnotes were unnecessary in many instances. Although knowledgeable, Frith
is unsure as to where he stands on certain issues, particularly the relationship between the
brain and the mind. He states that changes in brain activity cannot exist without changes
in the mind, whilst arguing that changes in the mind cannot exist without changes in the
brain because everything that happens in the mind is caused by brain activity. (p. 23)
This was unclear, as Frith does not consider himself to be a dualist, yet his view on this
matter appears to be so.

Nevertheless, the various interactive experiments throughout the book were relevant,
understandable, and fun, as Frith believes psychological experiments should be. (p. 102) I
particularly enjoyed The Herring Illusion, in which two horizontal lines that were clearly
straight appeared to be bent due to visual illusions. Frith argues that this is due to the lines
in the background preventing us from seeing them as they really are. (p. 48) This verified
the notion that our knowledge of the world does not alter our experience of the visual
world.

Frith concludes each part of his book with a summary, whilst beginning every new part
with an introduction. This, along with the narrative, makes it easier for the reader to
follow his ideas. Part II of the book is based on perception and how our brain creates
models of the physical and mental world through sensory information and prior
knowledge. According to Frith, the brain predicts things about the world and can
eradicate prediction errors, thus adjusting and improving our models. Essentially,
everything we perceive is not reality, but a mere perception of reality. Friths explanations
were exceptional, enabling readers to consider matters differently. He also provided
evidence from other researchers, making his ideas reliable, thus achieving his objective,
which was to change the ideas in our minds. (p. 16)

Part III is straightforward, as Frith discusses our brains ability to create models of other
peoples worlds and learn from the experiences of others by sharing our mental world,
enabling us to communicate. Just as our brain eradicates errors in our prediction to adjust
our models, it also makes guesses about other peoples goals and predicts their actions.
Therefore, Frith argues, the more accurate our guesses about others, the better our models
PS1004 Book Review Student Number: 130004043
3
of the world. He then discusses changes in behaviour and explains, using Pavlovs
conditioning technique, how our behaviour is altered by rewards and punishments, stating
that we do not repeat actions that cause pain, but repeat actions that bring us pleasure (p.
175). Friths willingness to explore the behavioural approach is admirable, as it
demonstrates open-mindedness. However, he fails to explain why, regardless of the
punishment they receive, some individuals still choose to behave wrongly. Perhaps there is
an element of conscious choice in our decisions and behaviour after all.

Despite stating that he is not a dualist, in the epilogue Frith argues that the brain creates
the I that makes conscious decisions, and the I that performs unconscious actions (p.
185). He states that willed action takes place in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which
becomes active when we consciously make decisions. Frith is suggesting that a part of the
brain triggers freewill, overlooking his aforementioned argument concerning the illusion
of freewill. Some philosophers share Friths view that our actions are a result of processes
beyond our control (BBC Radio 4, 2011). Berkeley would argue that ideas are the passive
effects of mental activity (Popkin and Stroll, 1993, p. 153), supporting Friths claims.
Leibniz, however, would argue that freewill develops from our ideas, thoughts and
experiences, which cannot be revealed by studying neural processes. (Feser, 2011)

To conclude, Frith provides incredible insight into the field of neuroscience in a unique
manner, while demonstrating the progress of psychology over the last ten decades.
However, I believe the importance of freewill was belittled, as Frith would be obliged to
admit that he is a dualist, which he is disinclined to. Regardless of our unsettled feelings at
the end of the book, we must appreciate the brains ability to hide complex activities from
us, particularly as it would be impractical to consciously contemplate each action we take.
Additionally, an illusion of control leads to a sense of accountability, making us
disciplined individuals. Unlike some books in the field based on consciousness, Frith
explains the amazing capabilities of our brain instead, and asks questions that allow for
further groundbreaking research in neuroscience, while implementing elements of
humour.

Bibliography

BBC Radio 4. 2011. In Our Time Archive: Philosophy. Free Will. [podcast] 10th March.
Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/iotp [Accessed: 8 Dec 2013].

Feser, E. 2011. Leibnizs Mill. Blogspot, [blog] 14th May, Available at:
http://edwardfeser.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/leibnizs-mill.html [Accessed: 8 Dec 2013].

Frith, C. 2007. Making up the mind. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub..

Popkin, R. and Stroll, A. 1993. Philosophy. 3rd ed. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Ursin, C. 2012. Free Will in the Lab. Public Broadcasting Service, [blog] 7th February,
Available at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/insidenova/2012/02/science-of-free-will-the-
classic-experiment.html [Accessed: 6 Dec 2013].

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen