Abstract
The early discovery of mirror neurons is traced from about 1991 when Rizzolatti and Sinigalia discovered them. The simulation of the behavior of others on the brain’s motor cortex is discussed as are other areas holding mirror neurons. How this can be related to language is briefly addressed, as is the original meaning of empathy. The subjective results of mirror neurons are considered at this point. V.S. Ramachandran’s early and overenthusiastic endorsement of mirror neurons is described as are a group of scholarly responses to mirror neurons from 2010 until 2016. Included are Cecilia Heyes (Neuro Image 51:789–791, 2010) showing that mirror neurons can be affected by experience, then Patricia Churchland (Braintrust: what neuroscience tells us about morality. Princeton University Press, Princeton, 2011) who describes difficulties with mirror neurons. Next, Sharon Begley (Mindful, 2014) represents a more recent interpretation as does Christian Jarrett (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-myths/201212/mirror-neurons-the-most-hyped-concept-in-neuroscience. Posted 10 December 2012). Like many of these authors, he insists that the broken mirror theory of autism has no validity. The rest of the chapter integrates findings of mirror neurons with the social behaviorism of G.H. Mead. The chapter ends with a criticism of mirror neurons by Hickok.
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Notes
- 1.
See//talking brains.blogspot.com/2008/09/right-motor-cortex-lesions-cause-verb.html for lesion studies about this issue and what kind of evidence is needed for satisfactory closure on the causal modeling of language comprehension and brain anatomy.
- 2.
For Mead, the advantages of rooting language in gestures were that they are by definition observable and reflected motor behavior. An even more profound advantage was that dualism could be avoided.
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Franks, D.D. (2019). Mirror Neurons, a Return to Pragmatism and Implications for an Embodied Intersubjectivity. In: Neurosociology: Fundamentals and Current Findings. SpringerBriefs in Sociology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1600-8_7
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