tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2108832774198086617.post4267260681436706405..comments2023-11-01T00:15:53.444-07:00Comments on The Mind's I: Chapter 23: An Unfortunate Dualistafterhailstormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09918874686498648095noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2108832774198086617.post-22859067977042791262015-05-02T07:26:24.595-07:002015-05-02T07:26:24.595-07:00What I get from this story is the brain, the mind ...What I get from this story is the brain, the mind and the sole are all the same thing and it's called the brain.<br /><br />For the guys body to proceed in the same way well enough so that no one could tell is for all it's systems in place and functioning normally over time including his brain.<br /><br />I think I am going to start selling vials of water to unhappy dualist over the internet.<br /><br />They could not demand a refund.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09230728458018295727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2108832774198086617.post-6572645730926999962011-09-28T10:16:40.499-07:002011-09-28T10:16:40.499-07:00A mental event = an idea or an epiphany (Does anyo...A mental event = an idea or an epiphany (Does anyone disagree with this?)<br />I don't understand how anyone can discount the validity of an epiphany, the very idea of having an epiphany is that it is a realization or dawning insight that might bring about a revolutionary change to a person's understanding (and then behavior of course). Epiphenomenalism holds that mental events are caused by physical brain events but cannot influence physical brain events? That's B.S. (my opinion) because it attempts to destroy the very nature of epiphany. Is the process of attempting to understand something or having a flash of insight purely a chemical reaction or something consciously deliberated on via mental events? And when a being chooses to use the information gained from that process of deliberation is that 'utilization of new knowledge' merely a chemical reaction resulting from a physio-chemical event? What about spiritual growth as we know it, is that all chemicals swirling around and adapting? Physical growth, yes, most definitely chemical, but spiritual and mental growth, learning to view the world in a completely different way from how you grew up based on your own mental processes sounds very much akin to being influenced by mental events than simple physio-chemics.<br /> Humans need the chemical interactions inherent in their brain to hold thought and facilitate thinking but the thoughts arisen are not comprised solely of the chemicals that allow us to think. Chemicals would be equated with tools, anyone can have them, and anyone can learn to use them, they are basic, simple devices/instruments. But what can be created with those tools depends on the quality of thoughts arising from the interaction of chemicals, which humans CAN shape. A depressed human becomes inspired by the words of another, he has an idea to build something, he creates something from his desire to build that will inspire him and others the next time he is depressed. We see here a physical event (words) causes a mental event (inspiration), which causes a mental event (idea), which causes a physical event (build), which he hopes will cause another mental event (future inspiration).<br />It seems much akin to which came first, the chicken or the egg, in this case, the chicken came first, because the egg hatched the first of a new breed, which we will no longer call chickens, and the chicken is only defined by our understanding of what a chicken is.<br />Theoretically one could also justify a mental event as a physical event based on the weight of the physical chemicals involved in the interaction, or the electric charges leaping across neurons as we consider vague or detailed notions.Ah, some random depressed being lmaohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06819892793762198171noreply@blogger.com