A THEORY OF INTELLIGENCE Part Two; addendum (Identity)

by David Turell , Friday, July 13, 2018, 19:12 (2113 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: In using 'wet ions' I am only describing the brain as it exists. And the soul contains a mechanism which uses the brain's networks to create thought from those ions, translate it into English for me and to transmit it to me. Thus the soul initiates thought, completes thought in the networks, and translates it from the material to the immaterial form.

dhw: You ARE your soul, and the ions ARE your brain. So now you have your soul using your brain to create a gibberish thought which is carried from your brain to your soul, which translates the thought into English for your soul to transmit to your soul. The weaverbird’s knots are nothing compared to yours.

I didn't say the soul/brain relationship was not very complex. Weaverbird knots are simple in comparison. Where does gibberish fit in? Gibberish is only with a sick brain, which proves my point that the I/soul uses the brain in creating thought.

dhw: Try this for a dualistic alternative: the soul thinks the thought in English, using the brain for information, and in an ongoing process of development uses the brain to give the thought material expression, thereby providing further information (e.g. through experiments in the making of a spear), until the thought is complete and ready for material expression through the brain (spear fit for action).

Of course I/soul think in English. My brain is trained that way! You still have the soul separated from the brain. Can you tell me where you think it is kept?

DAVID: I believe the soul contains a translation mechanism that changes the material representation of thought into understandable English I recognize in my head. That same mechanism is used in NDE's and death to transmit, translate to receive telepathic thought.

dhw: Dealt with above, except that the same mechanism cannot possibly be used in death, because there is no “material representation of thought” to be translated! In death it can only be the soul that thinks the thoughts! And that is regarded as evidence for dualism in life, i.e. that there is a soul that does the thinking!

No, I said telepathic. I've told you my form of dualism includes dual forms of soul in life and death, but maintaining the same me/personality. You keep forgetting this, because you only like your view of dualism.

DAVID: …but that does not imply the brain is totally in control which would be true materialism. I/soul control the brain. Control of the process is the real issue.

dhw: Of course the dualist’s soul is in control. It is the soul that initiates the thought, uses the brain to develop the thought, and continually issues instructions to what you call the passive, recipient brain, which gives them material expression. That is the nature of dualism. No disagreement.

Do you really mean the 'soul uses the brain to develop thought', that means it uses the networks to construct/form thought, or will you scurry back to 'express' thought, your usual refuge. Thought I'd use your debate terminology

DAVID: What consciousness looks like in the brain. Look at the illustrations:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23431290-400-brain-images-display-the-beauty-and...

DAVID’s comment: No sense of simplicity

dhw: Whoever said it was simple? Very beautiful. No mention of a soul in the text.

Glad you enjoyed it. Beautiful and highly complex.