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The Corpus Callosum and the Emergence of Creativity
Understanding the nature of humans as embodied beings raises the question of how we escape neurobiological reductionism and determinism. Many philosophers of mind argue that the high level cognitive properties of the mind are emergent properties of interactivity within the hypercomplex human brain. It is also increasingly clear in neuroscience that higher level cognitive properties are emergent from brain connectivity and neural system interactivity. The largest pathway of interactivity in the brain is the corpus callosum, the very large connective pathway between the right and left cerebral hemispheres. This talk will focus on research into the cognitive disabilities of individuals with agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC), a congenital abnormality in which this large connective pathway is absent from birth. Of particular note is evidence from two recent studies showing significantly diminished emergence of elaborative thought and creativity in persons with ACC.