IUBio

machine brains

Ray Scanlon rscanlon at wsg.net
Thu Jan 21 08:53:57 EST 1999


Malcolm McMahon wrote in message <36a91d9f.1541356 at news.demon.co.uk>...
>On Wed, 20 Jan 1999 08:30:29 -0500, "Ray Scanlon" <rscanlon at wsg.net>
>wrote:
>
>>As a starting point we take the position that the soul (mind) has no
causal
>>powers. The soul is completely extraneous to our explanation of brain
>>activity. The brain would act just as well with no soul present, but an
>>explanation of brain activity that ignores the soul will not satisfy many
>>people. We wish to say, "When these neurons are active, we have decided".
We
>>have not decided, our brain has decided but we experience the active
neurons
>>and say  we did.
>>
>
>But if this were so, a soul existed, so to speak, as a pure observer
>without the capacity to influence the brain, then the obvious question
>is, how could we be having this conversation? How can we _talk_ about
>the experience of being conscious.


First, why soul at all? Because people insist that there is something behind
the brain. I bow to the vast majority but I do say it is better to use
"soul" rather than the prissy euphemism "mind".

Second, soul as observer only. The brain has all the neurons needed to
perform any action we have ever observed. Since the brain may think and
decide we may use Occam's dictum to deny causal powers to soul. As to
understanding how there may be a soul as observer without causal powers, I
think McGinn has the best argument, our brain lacks the capability to
understand the relationship between brain and soul.

I would phrase it, "How may the brain speak of consciousness, how may the
brain speak of soul"? Which neurons are active when the brain images soul? I
simply say that signal energy reverberating through the brain may activate
neurons in combinations that, as a constellation, are not activated directly
by sense experience. This is the classic argument for the chimera.

How may we speak of a chimera? There are no limitations on speech. The most
ridiculous nonsense is acceptable if we chance upon a receptive auditor.
Witness: the politician.

Ray
Those interested in how the brain works might look at
www.wsg.net/~rscanlon/brain.html






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