Re: Addressing Scientific Reductionism

Robert J. Kolker wrote:

dkomo wrote:


Good point. We observe mind in others by engaging in intellectual or
social discourse, by listening to the radio, watching TV, reading books,
going to the movies, going to plays, etc. Mind is all around. Even
talking to one's dog and observing its reactions one can perceive a type
of mind.


Bad point.

We observe external behaviours and make up stories about the causes of
such behaviours.


We don't just observe external behaviors. These external behaviors --
people in this case -- can describe themselves in great detail. Ask
anybody, "do you have a mind?" Anybody will tell you, "I have a mind."

How do we know how watches work if we do not open up some watches?

Watches don't talk or think.

Is
there a non-material time spook in a watch that makes it produce time
readings? Or is it simply the turning of gears or the operations of
semi-conductor logic? Now apply the above questions analogically to the
issue of mind vs brain.


Analogically? Perhaps metaphorically? Here goes.

Am I really looking at a newsgroup browser program as I type this or is
the program really just the product of a very large number of quantum
mechanical wavefunctions moving through silicon wafers and copper
traces? For that matter, is even this laptop computer real? Or is it
also a non-material time spook based on QM wavefunctions?

What's that you say? The laptop is composed of electrons and nuclei?
Or it's composed of molecules and crystals? None of these are real
either. They're just QM probability waves. There's no such thing as
matter.

I (i.e., my mind) think(s) that reductionists are really strange people.


--dkomo@xxxxxxxx



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Relevant Pages

  • Re: Addressing Scientific Reductionism
    ... social discourse, by listening to the radio, watching TV, reading books, ... going to the movies, going to plays, etc. Mind is all around. ... We observe external behaviours and make up stories about the causes of ... We don't just observe external behaviors. ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)
  • Re: Addressing Scientific Reductionism
    ... social discourse, by listening to the radio, watching TV, reading books, ... going to the movies, going to plays, etc. Mind is all around. ... How do we know how watches work if we do not open up some watches? ... there a non-material time spook in a watch that makes it produce time ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)
  • Re: Addressing Scientific Reductionism
    ... social discourse, by listening to the radio, watching TV, reading books, ... going to the movies, going to plays, etc. Mind is all around. ... We observe external behaviours and make up stories about the causes of ... there a non-material time spook in a watch that makes it produce time ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)
  • Re: Addressing Scientific Reductionism
    ... social discourse, by listening to the radio, watching TV, reading books, ... going to the movies, going to plays, etc. Mind is all around. ... We observe external behaviours and make up stories about the causes of ... there a non-material time spook in a watch that makes it produce time ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)
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