My husband teaches philosophy at a university and is interested in what’s called “Philosophy of Mind,” which is an area of philosophy that tries to understand what the mind is and what exactly the relationship is between the mind and the brain. Here are some of his comments regarding pain:

Some philosophers believe that, at present, science has no understanding of how pain is related to what goes on in the brain.  They believe that science has no understanding of why such-and-such brain state gives rise to the sensation of pain, as opposed to some other sensation, or no sensation at all.  Science does, of course, have some idea of the nerve firings and chemicals involved in pain, but not how these things cause the sensation of pain.

These philosophers believe that this lack of understanding arises because pain isn’t physical.  What they mean is that pain can’t be understood with physical vocabulary – the terms used in the physical sciences, such as physics, chemistry, neurophysiology, and biology.

When I teach this to my students, at first they have difficulty understanding the idea that pain isn’t physical.  I believe this is because they ordinarily apply the term “physical” to pain in a different way than a philosopher does.  My students say things like, “some pain is physical and some pain is emotional.”  I think they’re distinguishing between physical pain and emotional pain based on what causes the pain.  That is, if the pain is caused by something physical, such as a hammer hitting your thumb, they say it’s physical pain.  However, if the pain is caused by something emotional, such as the loss of a loved one, they say it’s emotional pain.

I explain to students that pain, no matter how it’s caused, is something that feels a certain way.  And it’s this feeling that’s at issue when philosophers argue about whether pain is physical or not.  Can the feeling of pain, no matter how it’s caused, be understood with physical vocabulary?  Some philosophers say ‘no,” and this is a central reason for why they think science, at present, can’t understand how pain is related to what goes on in the brain.

In a future “Philosophy and Pain” post, my husband will explain why some philosophers believe that pain isn’t physical.

The painting above, “3 Men Share Wisdom and Knowledge,” is by Zhang Xiuzhen (San Yang) from China.  The painting depicts the ancient Chinese philosophy that even when people who don’t know each other come together, they can learn from each other - a wonderful inspiration for my blog.  Thanks to Ms. Xiuzhen and Oriental Outpost for letting me use the artwork!

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