Dualism versus materialism; amygdala evidence (Identity)

by dhw, Friday, August 18, 2017, 13:27 (2437 days ago) @ David Turell

Dhw: In my view, memory and emotion are all part of consciousness. How you can find even the slightest hint of a “soul” in this post escapes me. The very fact that emotional disorders can be treated (and also caused) by drugs is evidence that the brain is the producer and not the receiver of emotion. So far we have only discussed the illogicalities of your dualist position, but I have been very careful to emphasize that I am not taking sides in the debate between materialism and dualism. I can’t find the post in which I attempted a compromise between the two, but I shall try again when I get time (very short at the moment).

DAVID: In my view the self/soul uses the received mechanism of consciousness through the brain to create emotions and store memories. But of course the brain can be damaged, distorted in function by strokes and also by drugs and give false results when used. Your concept of my theory that somehow the brain receives emotions is way off the mark.

What do you mean by the self/soul “uses the received mechanism of consciousness through the brain”? You have agreed that your dualism makes the brain the receiver of the consciousness which IS your self/soul, which in turn uses the brain for information and for the implementation of its thoughts, ideas etc. As far as emotion is concerned, is it your brain or your soul that feels joy, sadness, love, hate? Does your brain tell your soul that it wants to cheer, weep, embrace, throw a punch, or does your soul instruct your brain?