Spinoza’s monism, Plato’s «matter» as the basis for the phenomenon of neuroplasticity

Abstract

Our goal is to show the relevance and organic self-realization of the concept of Spinoza’s monism in relation to the phenomenon of neuroplasticity within the framework of neurophysiology (Spinoza, 1957). We are talking about monism (a single substance) of the phenomenon of neuroplasticity to continue studying the problem of «mind-body» based on the dualism of Descartes, according to Damasio (Damasio, 1995). Neuroplasticity erases the long-lasting distinction between the brain and consciousness, gives conscious attitudes towards health, education, operates with exercises performed by consciousness-thinking and trains the brain at the same time – all this erases dualism in favour of a single, identical basis – monism with an external contradictory dialectic of «mind-body» (Damasio, 1995). Also, in addition to Spinoza’s monism, Plato’s concept of plastic «matter-chora» constitutes the philosophical basis for the phenomenon of neuroplasticity (Plato, 2006). In the theses, we rely on the works by Plato, Spinoza, Descartes, Damasio, and Doidge. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that for the first time we have identified the conceptual similarity of the philosophy of Plato, Spinoza and neurophysiology, in particular, the concepts of plastic matter, monism and the phenomenon of neuroplasticity. Instead of dualism and reduction, there is an expansion and interchangeability in the structure of the brain, when the properties of plasticity are expanded to areas responsible for other functions. We will conclude that instead of a mechanistically predetermined approach to the properties of the brain, we use the idea of Spinoza’s monism to universalize and philosophically conceptualize the phenomenon of neuroplasticity. Spinoza, like Descartes, referred to the rationalists of the New Time and was focused on analysing the properties of thinking, cognitive abilities.