MIND, BRAIN AND BIOCHEMISTRY 407 



behavior has been almost purely empirical. Yet, not only have 

 such agents alleviated the disturbing symptoms, but they have 

 often permitted other means of therapy to be more effective. 

 Patients, otherwise unapproachable, can be made amenable to 

 psychotherapy in this way. Then, too, a number of drugs are 

 extremely useful in exploring the chemical foundations of nor- 

 mal and abnormal behavior.^® Once again the sensitivity of 

 man's emotional and mental makeup to his chemical environ- 

 ment is clearly indicated. 



Fear has been expressed by some that the elucidation of the 

 biochemical factors of behavior might compromise man's free- 

 dom and his moral responsibility. This would be true if his 

 mind were no more than the functioning brain. In the last 

 analysis man's freedom and moral responsibility are guaranteed 

 by the spiritual, the immaterial nature of his mind. The mind 

 does indeed depend upon the brain for the raw material of 

 its thought, and the will is influenced by emotions and feelings. 

 But the mind and will, transcending neurons, chemical and all 

 matter, function with a certain independence from material 

 limitations, and consequently cannot be forced by anything 

 material. Only the hylomorphic interpretation of man's pecu- 

 liar nature can explain satisfactorily his existential unity and 

 his dependence upon as well as his transcendence over bio- 

 chemical composition. 



Albert S. Moraczewski, O. P. 



Houston State Psychiatric Institute, 

 Texas Medical Center, 

 Houston, Texas. 



^"M. Sidman, "Behavioral Pharmacology," Psychopliarmacologia, I (1959), 1-19; 

 R. M. Featherstone and A. Simon, A Pharmacologic Apjrroach to the Study of the 

 Mind (Springfield: Thomas, 1959) . 



