How does the brain produce volition (will), cognition (intellect), and emotions (feelings)?
How does the brain produce volition (will), cognition (intellect), and emotions (feelings)? Why ask this question? The answer helps to define them. Volition makes decisions, which controls actions. Cognition collects and interprets information received. The cerebral cortex contains conscious thought. The primary motor cortex and primary somatosensory cortex are two narrow cortices going from approximate one ear to the other (motor projection area) in the cerebral cortex. The primary motor cortex (next to the frontal lobe) controls voluntary muscle movement. The primary somatosensory cortex (next to the parietal lobe) interprets sensations from nerve endings in the skin. The frontal lobe contains volitional thoughts. The parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes contain cognitive thoughts. Figure 1. Divisions of the Cerebral Cortex (http://www.awa.com/norton/figures/fig0226.gif) The figure below shows how the function of these two primary cortices maps to the external body parts. The righ
