Brian R. Krouse, Angus J. Menuge, and Michael R. Egnor
January 13, 2025
What is the “mind”? Is it a pure product of raw brain activity? Or, is it something “other” — that can be experienced, but not measured, observed but not fully defined? Does free will exist? Are our brains just so many meat computers? A new anthology, Minding the Brain, explores these and related issues in depth — both from philosophical and scientific viewpoints — explaining how and why “mind” and “brain” are distinct things. Three of the contributors to the book — all Discovery Institute colleagues — join Wesley on Humanize to discuss this fascinating topic. Editor and Contributor Brian R. Krouse is a software engineer with research interests in the philosophy of the mind, computer science, and neuroscience. He has a …
Medicine and healthcare have become one of the most contentious sectors of modern society. Doctors have greater scientific knowledge with which to help patients than at any time in history. But at the same time, the field seems to be heading in a more crassly technocratic direction, in which the human being seeking care may become lost in the attempt to heal the patient’s bodily systems. One doctor is working to return medicine to its more humane roots. Kristin M. Collier, MD, FACP is an associate professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she serves as the director of the University of Michigan Medical School Program on Health, Spirituality and Religion. She is also an associate program director of the Internal Medicine Residency …
Religious persecution continues to afflict the world. Anti-Semitism abounds. Certain Islamic countries suppress minority faiths while Muslims face persecution in countries like India. Non-Orthodox Christians are persecuted in Russia, while some American Christians claim that they are discriminated against because of living out their faith precepts. In this episode of Humanize, Wesley focuses on the suppression of the Catholic Church in Communist China. Making her second appearance on the podcast, Wesley’s guest is one of the most informed persons in the world about these egregious human rights abuses. Nina Shea is a senior fellow and director of the Center for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute. Ms. Shea has been a human rights lawyer for nearly 40 years. She works …
People with serious mental health issues often face years, if not a lifetime, of debilitating symptoms. These traumas can sometimes be difficult to treat, much less cure. And that has some people looking for new avenues of care beyond standard medicines, including — controversially — psychedelic substances such as Psilocybin, LSD, and the like. Enthusiasts believe that these substances offer so much hope that they are devoting their lives and careers to this burgeoning field of care. One of these is former professional hockey star, Daniel Carcillo — a 2-time Stanley Cup winner with the Chicago Blackhawks — who was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome and traumatic brain injury (TBI) following his 10-year career in the NHL. After years of suffering from neurological issues, …
It’s no secret that American education is experiencing a profound crisis. Many of our children can’t read, do mathematics, or learn basic life skills. At the same time, many accuse the education establishment of imposing radical ideological views on children such as gender ideology and anti-Americanism. The good news is that concerted efforts are underway to reform education to better equip children for adulthood and to be productive members of society. My colleague at Discovery Institute — Dr. Keri D. Ingraham, Director of the American Center for Transforming Education — has followed these developments closely and has learned opinions about what has gone wrong in education, what is working, and what should be done to improve the system. So, I asked her back to …
American institutions are less trusted than ever before, our society is deeply divided, and much of the world is in turmoil. The problem isn’t religion, atheism, or ideology, per se. Rather, the real culprit — and one that receives far too little attention in public discourse — is the widespread embrace by social activists of utopianism, a zealous belief in the perfectibility of society which leads to acceptance of the dangerous notion that the ends are so important they justify virtually any means. How did we get to such a sorry state? My guest has some answers. Timothy S. Goeglein — making his second appearance on Humanize — has written a timely and important new book entitled Stumbling Toward Utopia: How the 1960s Turned Into a National Nightmare and How We Can Revive …
Whether to legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia is one of the most culturally contentious — and important — public policy debates of our time. Supporters of legalization call it a compassionate “last resort” means of preventing unnecessary suffering and promoting autonomy. Opponents see the intentional ending of the lives of the ill as a profound abandonment and a path to eventually allowing death on demand. How did the so-called right to die become such a visible issue? Wesley’s colleague at Discovery Institute, Dr. Richard Weikart, has the answers. Weikart is emeritus professor of history at California State University, Stanislaus, and a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture. He has published eight books, including, …
