Author Topic: Sentient Life  (Read 30350 times)

Xodarap

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 44
    • View Profile
Sentient Life
« Reply #60 on: June 23, 2007, 07:02:18 am »
quote:
Originally posted by daveleb55
Xodarap said:
"...it sure seems like my thoughts, ideas, and emotions are not simple material concoctions. Whether or not they are CAUSED by material processes, I certainly wouldn't argue, but happiness doesn't FEEL much like chemicals and electricity sloshing around a skull cavity to me..."

Hee hee, happiness, a very subjective feeling, is definitely chemicals sloshing around in my skull, because I am on anti-depressants. If I don't take them, I feel desperate and helpless, I have huge mood swings, the meds help keep me on an even keel, so to speak.



*Sigh* -- another person who apparently failed to read my post in its entirety.  I SAID: the brain and mind have ONE-WAY causal interaction -- the brain causes things in the mind.  Like a computer (and all of its "doings") causes images on the monitor!  They are not identical, because there is no BLUE in the computer -- there's a series of 1s and 0s that REPRESENT blue, but it takes a MONITOR to make them BLUE.  Similarly, it takes a MIND to make those chemicals into HAPPINESS ITSELF -- the FEELING.  That FEELING certainly isn't in my BRAIN.
I'm not trying to be a dick, really.  Just trying to be clearer. ;)

We are disputing an IDENTITY.  NOT a causal dependence, because I admit to that freely.  There are no emotions in my head.  EMOTIONS are in my MIND -- CHEMICALS are in my HEAD -- EMOTIONS are caused by CHEMICALS.  :)

Oh, and as for the subjectivity of the world, both modern quantum physics (no, not the new-agey crap, either) and Kant's Critique of Pure Reason will definitively prove that wrong.  (Technically, physics is never definitive, but some of Kant's arguments are.  Unfortunately, you'd need a doctorate or two to understand them.  If you're interested, I strongly recommend a secondary resource, Henry Allison's, "Kant's Transcendental Idealism."  If you're a strong realist/positivist like me, don't let the title drive you away, it's misleading. ;) )
« Last Edit: June 23, 2007, 07:14:25 am by Xodarap »
The line below is true
The line above is false

Bill DeWitt

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 650
    • View Profile
Sentient Life
« Reply #61 on: June 23, 2007, 08:13:08 am »
quote:
Originally posted by Xodarap

quote:
And man will never fly.


No, I'm afraid you misunderstood me. <snip> you get my point?  ;)
I understood what you were saying, I'm just not locked into the premise. Your analogies are good, but there is a chance, however slight, that they do not apply. That was my point. I agree that mind is almost certainly immaterial, and that by current standards, using material tools, we cannot wrap a bottle around it any more than we can wrap a bottle around a rainbow, but I am not willing to close the book on future tools which may become available.


 
quote:
If one time -- only once -- a bottle fails to fall when it should by all physical reason, then gravity is *certainly* untrue.  

Or something else happened. My key certainly unlocks the door, unless the door is already unlocked. I know what you are saying and I agree, I just don't like falling into the mindset of some others on this board who know what they know and won't examine other ideas.

 
quote:
quote:
there are many other more concrete facts which indicate that the mind can store more than the brain can hold.


I'm willing to state categorically that there are not.  As a well-versed philosopher of mind, I assume (maybe hastily) that such would have been brought to the attention of the academic community, and can say with certainty that it has not.
Either you misunderstood me or you missed out on such things as people who are having brain surgury, get touched in a certain place and see their long dead mother's favorite dress. I know you may believe that they are reconstructing this from a less information dense stimulus, but my personal experience argues against that, and that is all we have to go by in the long run.

 
quote:
the data COULD be there, despite the fact that the hypnosis created COINCIDENTALLY identical data with a causally disconnected means.  
or hypnotism works... If you start with the premise that hypnotism can't work, you can certainly find evidence to support your premise. You have to build speculative structures and connect previously unconnected facts, which Occam is just standing around waiting for a chance to get at, but it can be done.

 
quote:
quote:
Good to see I haven't changed your mind. 8-) We both have to go on our subjective experience in the absence of factual evidence.



I don't base my argument on subjective experience;
Except the part where you only think you are a person talking to other people on the internet.

Your blue goose may be as material as all the geese I pass by on the way to the lake. I don't believe so, but there is a chance. If there is room in the brain for everything hypnosis cannot possibly find ;), and if those things are just chemicals sloshing around, then when we think/feel/imagine/remember things, we are just sensing the chemicals with another straightforward part of our sensoria. There would be actually something there, which is not blue, and not a goose, but which we can wrap a bottle around, and your experience of it is just other chemicals we can cork up. I know neither of us believe this, but it is infinitesimally possible.

Putting aside hypnosis as a matter for later discussion, I still contend that there is not enough structure in the brain to explain either consciousness, mind or spirit. That famous and mythical "unused" portion notwithstanding. We seem to agree on that, and will be vilified for our thoughts by those who want to be nothing more than chemicals. If we can prove it they will ignore the proof and call us stupid. That's always funny so let's do it!8-)


Bill DeWitt

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 650
    • View Profile
Sentient Life
« Reply #62 on: June 23, 2007, 12:34:41 pm »
quote:
Originally posted by Xodarap
*Sigh* -- another person who apparently failed to read my post in its entirety.  
Heh, get used to that. Then there are those who read exactly the opposite of what you wrote, read things which are not even there and read qualifiers as absolutes. Not to mention those who can't recognize a metaphor, take irony as reality and are incapable of understanding anything other than concrete nouns couched in an 8th grade vocabulary.

It's a task to retain equanimity.


Maviarab

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 345
    • View Profile
    • http://3d-fantasyportraits.co.uk
Sentient Life
« Reply #63 on: June 25, 2007, 05:20:55 pm »
quote:
In the real world, nothing is analog and BTW, opposites don't exist.

And you have proof of this do you Bill?

 
quote:
I still contend that there is not enough structure in the brain to explain either consciousness, mind or spirit.

Contend all you like, but it would seem that 'there is enough structure' in the brain to do all you contend it can't. Jeesh, makes me wonder if the brain is that small and insignificant how I can even posess the intelligence or have the memory to remember how to use my computer?

 
quote:
Not to mention those who can't recognize a metaphor, take irony as reality and are incapable of understanding anything other than concrete nouns couched in an 8th grade vocabulary

Now theres a real fine stand up arrogant and self rightous statement Bill.

And what makes you think you are so above the rest of us eh?
AIDreams...The new home of the Digital Girl

www.aidreams.co.uk

Bill DeWitt

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 650
    • View Profile
Sentient Life
« Reply #64 on: June 25, 2007, 05:40:35 pm »
Perfect example, thanks.


GamerThom

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 408
    • View Profile
    • http://www.charctercreationsanddesignworks.us/index.html
Sentient Life
« Reply #65 on: June 25, 2007, 05:49:53 pm »
I'd really love to interject here, but I think I'll
just sit back, watch and enjoy the current proceedings. [;)]
Gamer-T

Maviarab

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 345
    • View Profile
    • http://3d-fantasyportraits.co.uk
Sentient Life
« Reply #66 on: June 25, 2007, 06:11:23 pm »
Maybe the question was too intelligent for you...

To quote another thread...'lets try again shall we'

And what makes you think you are so above the rest of us eh?
AIDreams...The new home of the Digital Girl

www.aidreams.co.uk

Bill DeWitt

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 650
    • View Profile
Sentient Life
« Reply #67 on: June 25, 2007, 06:22:20 pm »
Again, thanks. I am so glad you are here to help people understand the situation. Please keep up the good work. You rock!


Maviarab

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 345
    • View Profile
    • http://3d-fantasyportraits.co.uk
Sentient Life
« Reply #68 on: June 25, 2007, 06:27:52 pm »
I know I do Bill.

But just once, it might actually show that your not a complete self rightious sob by actually intelligently answering any of my questions or comments raised in opposition (though apparently it does not exist) against your arguments [:)]
AIDreams...The new home of the Digital Girl

www.aidreams.co.uk

Bill DeWitt

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 650
    • View Profile
Sentient Life
« Reply #69 on: June 25, 2007, 07:25:07 pm »
You should do the thing with the capital letters again, that was good.


Xodarap

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 44
    • View Profile
Sentient Life
« Reply #70 on: June 25, 2007, 11:37:07 pm »
Hey, kids, I'll turn this car around!  ;)

Seriously, though, if you don't like arrogance, how could you skip me over?  I'm hurt!  I totally think I'm better than everyone else!  And if you're having trouble getting argument out of Bill, go for me!  :)  I have plenty of condescending argument in the posts above, and I'd be more than happy to fight with you over them!  :P
The line below is true
The line above is false

Bill DeWitt

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 650
    • View Profile
Sentient Life
« Reply #71 on: June 26, 2007, 12:11:08 am »
quote:
Originally posted by Xodarap
 if you're having trouble getting argument out of Bill,

How could he be arguing with me? He already won! Didn't you see the capital letters?

His "is too is too you big stupid" method of debate has left me questioning my own existence. I am become no more than a puddle of sputum in the shadow of his nugatory intellect. How will I carry on?

But I was right about the whole villifying thing... He's searching out posts from ages ago to castigate me about. I feel I provide a service.
« Last Edit: June 26, 2007, 10:14:06 am by Bill DeWitt »


lightspeed

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6763
    • View Profile
Sentient Life
« Reply #72 on: June 26, 2007, 09:37:17 am »
alright everybody cut that crap out or i'll have god throw down a lighning bolt on all your butts !! [:D]
 

markofkane

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5275
  • Crazy Man
    • View Profile
    • http://www.soundspectrum.com
Sentient Life
« Reply #73 on: June 26, 2007, 11:54:39 am »
I find this all amusing........[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

On one hand, you got somebody who thinks they are superior. And another who thinks not. We are all different, we cannot all agree on everything.

I am the best!! But that's just my opinion, and those who disagree are wrong. LOL.
Mark: I'll think about it
Laura: Don't think about it too long or I'll throw you out on your ***king a**.
"Political correctness is censorship"

Duskrider

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3316
  • Graphic King
    • View Profile
Sentient Life
« Reply #74 on: June 26, 2007, 02:29:48 pm »

Long ago shortly after our marriage, I explained to my wife that I was always right and as long as she agreed with me, she would also be always right.
 
And if on the far chance I was ever wrong, I would still always consider her right if she agreed with me.
[;)]