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Does Physicalism Entail Panpsychism?

Nous

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Can you elaborate his argument in the form of premises and conclusions ? Can you then proceed to show that it is logically sound ?
Strawson enumerated his original argument. The one I initially saw had, like, 30 premises. I couldn't begin to reproduce that. I think he later produced a simpler argument. But I haven't been able to find it yet. I will continue looking.
 

Polymath257

Think & Care
Staff member
Premium Member
What is the evidence that leads to the conclusion that "brain circuitry" chooses between 2 or more possibilities? Use definitions (1) or (2) here: the definition of choose

Does "circuitry" that is not in brains also choose between possibilities? If not, why not? What makes circuitry in brains special?

By definition 1, many computer circuits 'choose': they decide among possible ways to proceed. We know that planning and choosing happen in the frontal cortex of the human brain (although there are aspects that are more distributed).

What makes circuitry in the brain special is that we also have consciousness, so the choices can be conscious.
 

Koldo

Outstanding Member
Strawson enumerated his original argument. The one I initially saw had, like, 30 premises. I couldn't begin to reproduce that. I think he later produced a simpler argument. But I haven't been able to find it yet. I will continue looking.

Sure. If you find it please do post it as a reply to me or mention my nickname in the post as @Koldo.
 

Nous

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
By definition 1, many computer circuits 'choose'
What is the evidence the leads to the conclusion that computer circuits have a preference for one possibility over the other?

And are circuits in computers the only other circuits besides brain circuits that choose by preference? If so, why is that? What makes computer and brain circuits special?

What makes circuitry in the brain special is that we also have consciousness, so the choices can be conscious.
What makes circuitry in brains conscious but not circuitry in computers and other circuits conscious?

How do circuits in computers choose by preference of one possibility over another without being conscious of the available possibilities or of their own preference?
 

atanu

Member
Premium Member
A lifeless body isn't physically the same as a body that is alive. Pumping oxygen in won't help because irreversible chemical reactions have already occurred: that is what death is.

If you could reverse those reactions and get the body back to the same physical state that it was before it died, it would be alive.

But that is the point. If brain and reactions therein were the source of "I am" consciousness, a body would be eternally saying "I am". It is obvious that the switch is somewhere else.

No, Godel's incompleteness theorem is irrelevant here. Nothing we are talking about is an abstract formal system of first order logic.

And we don't need *perfect* knowledge: only knowledge good enough for survival (of the species).

Actually it is "Even in case of abstract formal systems". What to talk of living intelligence? Even in case of abstract formal systems, there are propositions that cannot be determined this way or that way. What to say of living intelligence?

How so? Can't different pieces still interact with each other? Two otherwise identical electrons can interact, even though they are the same 'substance'.

This happens with delusion/mistake only .. like in dream infinite non dual consciousness creates an "I" and a world. Same for the waking state. But to really know the non dual fundamental substance, one has to be that non dual substance.

If you claim that you will know the fundamental substance with operation of the brain, you are already not the fundamental substance -- you have created duality and you cannot know the substance as it is. You only create a theory, an idea, a representation -- and that is delusion.


Awareness is an interaction between different parts of the conscious mind.

Agree. That is the manifestation. What IS, before the interaction, IS the True. We think that the result of interaction is consciousness. result of interaction is known/seen by the consciousness.

That is a problem of epistemology not of ontology. We know about the world through interaction. That knowledge is imperfect. And yes, we need to be conscious to have knowledge: it is a prerequisite of the type of interaction (accumulating and processing sensory data).

But that doens't say anything about the fundamentals, only the mechanism.

Eastern teachers say that we create the world through interaction of fictitious beings imagined in non dual consciousness, like in dreams. But that I suppose is besides the point for this thread.
 
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Polymath257

Think & Care
Staff member
Premium Member
But that is the point. If brain and reactions therein were the source of "I am" consciousness, a body would be eternally saying "I am". It is obvious that the switch is somewhere else.

The 'I am' is from the *interactions*, the *processes*, not just the raw being. The point is that life isn't a noun, it is a verb. Same for consciousness. The physical body changes significantly after death: many of the basic chemical processes top and even reverse. simply adding oxygen again doesn't set things right *physically*. But if you *could* set things back physically, then you would have an alive and consciousn body again. In other words, life and consciousness supervene on the physical.

Actually it is "Even in case of abstract formal systems". What to talk of living intelligence? Even in case of abstract formal systems, there are propositions that cannot be determined this way or that way. What to say of living intelligence?

Well, Godels results are about first order formal systems. They don't apply to second order systems, for example. Once you get to talk about properties as separate entities, the Godel results no longer apply. Furthermore, they are limited in their applicability to very, very specific types of systems and life simply isn't even close to being that sort of system. Living things are NOT abstract formal systems of first order logic. Our thoughts often go to second order logic naturally. Once that happens, the Godel results don't work.

This happens with delusion/mistake only .. like in dream infinite non dual consciousness creates an "I" and a world. Same for the waking state. But to really know the non dual fundamental substance, one has to be that non dual substance.

I don't see how that follows at all. Being made up of the 'substance' (a concept that I think is really too vague to be philosophically useful) doesn't say anything at all about the interaction between different examples of that substance or what information cn be stored in those interactions.

If you claim that you will know the fundamental substance with operation of the brain, you are already not the fundamental substance -- you have created duality and you cannot know the substance as it is. You only create a theory, an idea, a representation -- and that is delusion.

Approximations aren't the same as delusions.

Agree. That is the manifestation. What IS, before the interaction, IS the True. We think that the result of interaction is consciousness. result of interaction is known/seen by the consciousness.

The interaction is what defines the 'substance': how it can interact tells us what it is. There is no 'before the interaction' because time itself is defined via interaction.

Eastern teachers say that we create the world through interaction of fictitious beings imagined in non dual consciousness, like in dreams. But that I suppose is besides the point for this thread.
OK, I guess I disagree with their opinion.
 

atanu

Member
Premium Member
The point is that life isn't a noun, it is a verb. Same for consciousness. ...

If life is a run, then whose run it is? If life is a run, what knows that run?
...

But I suppose it is futile to proceed in this thread anymore. The magical creation of consciousness through friction of inert material is a mere story, without any logical or empirical support. You can assert it again and again but can never demonstrate it.

For us, the awareness is. Verbs exist on account of the awareness.
 

Koldo

Outstanding Member
If life is a run, then whose run it is? If life is a run, what knows that run?
...

But I suppose it is futile to proceed in this thread anymore. The magical creation of consciousness through friction of inert material is a mere story, without any logical or empirical support. You can assert it again and again but can never demonstrate it.

For us, the awareness is. Verbs exist on account of the awareness.

Said the one that can't show any logical or empirical support for his own position nor demonstrate it to be true.

Oh the irony.
 

osgart

Nothing my eye, Something for sure
The pattern of neurons accesses consciousness. At death, the pattern loses its connection to the phenomenon of consciousness. So who is to say that consciousness totally dissipates into nothing and is gone forever vs. existing in an underlying and currently undetectable part of reality?

What is so special about the circuitry of the brain that the illusion called consciousness arises from it? Physical complexity only produces physical patterns that are only producing physicalities. Consciousness is abstract, and is its own entity, vs. being a phantom produced by physical processes.

Thats the assertion to test, entity vs. phantom illusion.
 

atanu

Member
Premium Member
Said the one that can't show any logical or empirical support for his own position nor demonstrate it to be true.

Oh the irony.

Does 'consciousness' require any empirical proof? With what you will prove that which proves all things? With what light you will illuminate light?

Did you write what you wrote with an intelligence generated mechanically by interaction of some inert moieties? How do you then know that your intelligence has competence to determine objective truths of propositions? How do you know that the mechanical processes have not pre-determined your responses?

OTOH, when the intelligence is unborn and inherent nature of our existence, we have the power to use it with freedom, since it is not controlled by anything else but our own whims and desires and ... wisdom. We are made of it.
 
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Koldo

Outstanding Member
Does 'consciousness' require any empirical proof? With what you will prove that which proves all things? With what light you will illuminate light?

Feel free to keep beating that straw man some more.

Did you write what you wrote with an intelligence generated mechanically by interaction of some inert moieties? How do you then know that your intelligence has competence to determine objective truths of propositions? How do you know that the mechanical processes have not pre-determined your responses?

OTOH, when the intelligence is unborn and inherent nature of our existence, we have the power to use it with freedom, since it is not controlled by anything else but our own whims and desires and ... wisdom. We are made of it.

...Where is the part of your post you are supposed to show some support for your position ? Which is what I was talking about.

All you have done is criticize some other position without supporting your own.
 
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