Descartes Error Quotes

“Neither anguish nor the elation that love or art can
bring about are devalued by understanding some of the myriad
biological processes that make them what they are. Precisely the
opposite should be true: Our sense of wonder should increase before
the intricate mechanisms that make such magic possible. Feelings
form the base for what humans have described for millennia as the
human soul or spirit.”
― Antonio Damasio

“It is not customary to refer to organisms when we talk about brain
and mind. It has been so obvious that mind arises from the activity
of neurons that only neurons are discussed as if their operation
could be independent from that of the rest of the organism. But as I
investigated disorders of memory, language, and reason in numerous
human beings with brain damage, the idea that mental activity, from
its simplest aspects to its most sublime, requires both brain and body
proper became especially compelling.”
― antonio damasio

“It is difficult, almost impossible, in fact, for the scientific community to recognize the fact that Cartesian bifurcation is a philosophic postulate, for which there is absolutely no scientific basis [...] It is not that they can conceive or imagine a scientific proof of that hypothesis; it is rather that they are unable to conceive that it might not be true.”
― Wolfgang Smith

“By now you may have concluded that the conversation was neither
about Descartes nor about philosophy, although it certainly was
about mind, brain, and body. My friend suggested it should take
place under the Sign of Descartes, since there was no way of approaching
such themes without evoking the emblematic figure who
shaped the most commonly held account of their relationship. At
this point I realized that, in a curious way, the book would be about
Descartes' Error. You will, of course, want to know what the Error
was, but for the moment I am sworn to secrecy. I promise, though,
that it will be revealed.”
― Antonio Damasio

“It indicates where the problem lies for Descartes. It lies in other people.”
― Paul C. Vitz

“It is also true that the separate brain units, by
virtue of where they are placed in a system, contribute different
components to the system's operation and are thus not interchangeable.”
― antonio damasio

“Phineas Gage's case is not the only important
historical source in the effort to understand the neural basis of
reasoning and decision making;”
― Antonio Damasio