Abstract

In his «Your soul is a distributed property of the brains of yourself and others» Arbib deals with one of the most relevant questions of our times: can neurosciences help us to understand traditional issues such as those concerning the personal reality or the religious experience? The author claims that the mirror system theory can account for some relevant aspects of the soul, as long as it provides the neuroscientific ground of a shared space that constitutes a sort of primary intersubjectivity. The importance of motor and social schemas, and that of language and imitation are also pointed out. In this commentary, after focusing on the most relevant passages of Arbib's theory, I will address some issues raised by the application of the neurosciences to philosophical or religious questions.