Scientific Model of the Brain - From Instinct to Reason: How does the Brain work?
See formatted version here . A SCIENTIFIC MODEL OF THE BRAIN: FROM INSTINCT TO REASON The main purpose of the brain is to optimize our interaction with our environment, in order to achieve the organism's ultimate objectives. How the brain works in a nutshell: The model does not follow the usual assumption of the existence of a magical intelligent agent making choices and taking decisions. Rather, - much like the scientific method - the brain learns a model of how things associate with one another, how things work, in order to be able to make an educated guess of what actions will attain the organism's objectives. At all times, all sorts of courses of action are unconsciously being weighted and competing against one another. Whichever alternative wins this competition becomes the organism's choice; albeit, on a "deeper, more prolonged thought", another course of action may eventually offer better prospects and prompt a "change of mind". Now, obviously, t...