How does being become conscious? How do empirically observable objective processes in brains generate subjective processes that are not empirically observable but are known only by each individual? Objectivity is an inter-subjective consensus, of course. All of us can see what a particular psychophysical organism looks like but only that organism knows by direct experience what it is like to be that organism and how the rest of the world appears to it.
At every waking moment, each of us is aware both of the external world and of our own thought processes. In modern fiction, we know the centrality of the narrative point of view. An interaction between two characters can be narrated from either point of view or, less frequently, objectively so that we know what each character says and does but not what either of them thinks or how either of them feels.
In The Time Machine, Wells assumes that mind is not a property of a body in each moment of its existence but instead that a mind is an immaterial entity moving along the temporal dimension where the body merely extends. This is a philosophical confusion, in my opinion.
(My books are packed for moving so I can quote only from memory.)
In "Brave To Be A King" by Poul Anderson, Manse Everard, addressing Keith Denison, states that if he, Everard, makes a particular alteration to the course of events, then it will follow that this version of Denison (who definitely does exist here and now at this particular set of spatiotemporal coordinates because Everard is perceiving and conversing with him) does not exist here and now at this particular set of spatiotemporal coordinates. (Bracketed is my comment to make explicit the logical contradiction.) By altering events, Everard can generate a subsequent/divergent/alternative timeline in which this version of Denison does not exist here and now but that will be another timeline. Denison, who is both existent and fully conscious, is horrified at Everard's suggestion. However, it cannot be the case that the "I" that does exist here and now does not exist here and now. Not (p and not-p).
10 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
IIRC, the philosopher Mortimer Adler discussed the mind/body problem in massive detail in his book THE DIFFERENCE OF MAN AND THE DIFFERENCE IT MAKES. It was long ago and I don't claim to accurately recall his argument, but it's a problem which bothers many philosophers.
I've thought more than once, considering how catastrophically dumbed down so much of modern "education" has become, poisoned as well by Political Correctness and insane ranting about "dead white males," that a revival of the medieval/early modern system of education based on the trivium and quadrivium would be good. Because of that system's focus on the study of rhetoric, logic, and philosophy. I agree some additions/adjustments would be needed to make such a revival effective.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
"...insane ranting..." You overstate your case.
Paul.
The scorn for teaching about "dead white males" contains the *grain* of truth that thinkers outside Europe and colonies of Europe, produced knowledge worth studying. See Indian & Chinese philosophy, and I have heard there was a school of mathematics in India developing calculus at about the time European mathematicians were doing so. This Indian school may (or may not) have influenced the Europeans.
It neglects the fact that such things as printing meant that more European thought is available to us & to scholars in European societies over the last several centuries, producing the 'on the shoulders of giants' factor that helped European societies advance in knowledge faster than others.
(Note: Over the previous few days some comments by me got recorded as by Anonymous.)
Kaor, Paul and Jim!
Paul: I disagree because there are woke leftists who are as bad as I described them.
Jim: I should have been clearer in what I wrote because you made points I was not thinking of. I do not deny China produced great men like Confucius and Mencius. Nor do I deny an unknown genius in India devised the system of numbers on which all our mathematics sometime around AD 1100-1200.
Nor was I thinking of the printing press. What I had in mind was recalling how terrible many public schools and high schools have become in the US during the past half century. Far too many of these schools are "graduating" students who can barely read or do even the simplest arithmetic. Far too many "teachers" are failing to impart real knowledge and abilities to their victims. Many care more about brainwashing children with PC nonsense while others are cowed and discouraged.
The explosion of antisemitism seen in US colleges after 10/7 is a direct result of what you will get from indoctrinating students with PC woke propaganda.
Ad astra! Sean
Jim,
India gave us "Arabic" numerals with the zero and the decimal point.
Sean, Stop! Some rightists are as bad as they are described.
"Brainwashing." "PC nonsense.." "Cowed." "Discouraged." "PC woke propaganda." More overstatements. There has been an explosion of anti-Zionism.
It should be possible to discuss these issues instead of listing cliched accusations.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
The fact remains that many US public schools are failures by all objective measures--and staffed largely by leftists. And cliches are often true.
Like it or not, "anti-Zionism" is often code for Jew hating bigotry. I will send you an article discussing, convincingly IMO, exactly that point.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
How many US schools are staffed largely by "leftists"? (Surely this word should be clarified.) Cliches are not often true.
Like it or not, "anti-Zionism" is not often code for Jew hating bigotry. This is an appalling accusation against many committed and active anti-racists. I will read the article but one article will not prove exactly any point. I think that you only read articles that you agree with. They come from one conservative section of American media.
Paul.
Sean,
Do some of your contributions not count as left-hating rants? I try to respond but not in the same way. Let me try to compose a right-hating rant:
"Like it or not, the brute fact remains that these mad racist fascist anti-immigrant anti-wokist left-haters are pro-Trumpist bigots..."
Naaahhh! I don't want to write like that!
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Exactly, I don't trust the roughly 90 percent of the media outlets in the US dominated by leftists. I've seen too many lies, distortions, misrepresentations, shameless errors, etc, from the NEW YORK TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, MSNBC, ABC, NEW REPUBLIC, etc., for decades to believe a word they say. I put far more trust in an embattled minority of responsible conservative outlets like NATIONAL REVIEW, COMMENTARY, FOX NEWS, THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR, etc.
All political movements are going to have bad people, including leftists.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
But who are these "leftists"? They seem to be a lot of Americans.
I regard the articles you send me occasionally as hopelessly one-sided and biased. I have heard FOX NEWS described as a "joke network" although I have not seen anything like enough of it to have an opinion on that. But that is how polarized world views are right now. The world is in a very bad state. Merely conserving the status quo perpetuates all the conflicts, divisions, misunderstandings, outright hatreds etc.
Paul.
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