Virtually every thinker has conceived of the mind as a unitary entity. In fact, such a view was crucial to both Aristotle's and Descartes's view that the mind (or the soul) survived death. Surely the self cannot be subdivided; surely one cannot have half a mind?

Indeed, evidence that one can, in fact, have "half a mind" came in the 1960s, from the 5 famous studies of Roger Sperry. Working with epileptics who had been treated via the cutting of the corpus callosum, Sperry was able to observe "odd behavior" in these patients—each half of the brain could gain new information, but one hemisphere was entirely unaware of what the other had learned or experienced.

Restak, in The Modular Brain, posits that the brain is not centrally organized (some prior theories of mind had actually posed the existence of a "director" in the brain, begging the question of who directs the director's brain) but, alternatively, that different parts of the brain control different abilities, and that those "modules" can operate independently. For instance, Phineas Gage's 1848 railroad accident literally blew a hole in the front of his brain. While Gage was ultimately able to function fairly normally, his personality was markedly changed; he became boorish and irresponsible. Gage's case was well documented, and we now know that his injury affected neural areas related to moral sensibilities and their expression. That is, Gage literally lost one (or more) of the modules in his modular brain system.

The case of Phineas Gage is presented as evidence that

(A) the modular brain system has a central "director"
(B) people who lose parts of the brain are usually able to function normally
(C) brain injury is a serious risk in certain types of work
(D) splitting the corpus callosum can result in marked changes in personality
(E) aspects of personality can be physically located within the brain





Consider each of the answer choices separately and indicate all that apply.

The phrase "begging the question of who directs the director's brain" is meant to emphasize that

A. the problem of a "director" in the brain is recursive
B. whether there is such a "director" of the brain is an open question
C. Restak has both asked and answered a question about the brain's organization



Consider each of the answer choices separately and indicate all that apply.

Which of the following can be inferred about thinkers who conceive of the mind as a unitary entity?

A. They believe that the mind survives death.
B. Their views are incompatible with modular brain theory.
C. They are unaware that certain aspects of personality are known to be controlled by certain areas of the brain.