| Subject: Hard Thoughts |
Author:
Damoclese
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Date Posted: 02/24/02 8:08pm
In reply to:
Primordial
's message, "Mind and Matter" on 02/24/02 7:37pm
>
> So, if, for example, an observer were present
>during the alleged big bang, that presence would have
>affected the outcome?
Some not only argue that it would have affected it, but that some conciousness caused it. Of course, the problem becomes one of infinite regression if this is the case, for it would seem conciousness is composed of matter, and the observer would need an observer.. on down the line.
> So, is it a problem to say that matter is
>merely a creation of mind?... or how about whether or
>not the mind is a type of matter? Almost seems we
>would need new laws to govern our thinking if the
>former were to hold true....or a different set of
>"natural" laws, at least.
I believe most would argue that the mind is a type of matter, which is also how I feel.
>
> Or is mind a form of behaviour?; a Realists'
>position. The idealist would say we all view the world
>similarly, that mind created matter.
That's a nice thought, but I think the fact that people do not see the world similarly serve as a point against that fact. We don't even have the same notions of what "pain" is, more or less the world.
.
>
> From Darwin's perspective; what is the reason
>for such a consciousness? If something evolves, there
>was a reason for it to happen. Does this consciousness
>make the synaptic firing more efficient....i.e.
>quicker relexes for a fight or flight situation of
>danger? ...or perhaps memories are stored and
>retrieved more effectively, allowing for numerous
>applications that benefit such an adaptation?
Well, it's nice to think in terms of ultimate causes of things, which is what Karl Popper did. He concluded we couldn't find the ultimate cause of things because we could never find all the necessary causes, but more specifically we couldn't find the sufficent causes. Consciousness to me fits more neatly into the "ultimate cause" category. I really don't know enough to speculate about how it came about.
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