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Is the mind all chemical and electricity? - Page 3

Forum Index > General Forum
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SergioCQH
Profile Joined October 2010
United States143 Posts
July 01 2013 01:37 GMT
#41
On July 01 2013 10:35 nbaker wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 01 2013 10:33 SergioCQH wrote:
On July 01 2013 10:32 nbaker wrote:
I don't think so. There are many observations about the way the mind works that are not consistent with a completely finite, material mind.

Of interest:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/83870017/The-Present-Status-of-the-Innateness-Controversy
http://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195332834.003.0012


Yeah, let's not get philosophers involved in this. Philosophers are not scientists.

That's completely ridiculous. This is a philosophical issue.


It's only a philosophical issue right now because science hasn't progressed enough to make philosophers obsolete when it comes to this discussion.
Kishin2
Profile Joined May 2011
United States7534 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-07-01 01:38:59
July 01 2013 01:38 GMT
#42
Assume that the mind is not entirely physical. That means to some extent, the mind is not within our known universe, which embodies all that is physical. Well, everything we know states that the Universe is closed and etc. so thus, it would be impossible for the mind to not be entirely physical.

So yes.
casuistry
Profile Blog Joined July 2013
56 Posts
July 01 2013 01:38 GMT
#43
On July 01 2013 10:33 coverpunch wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 01 2013 10:26 casuistry wrote:
Yes, it's all electrical and chemical events. Accept it.

What's really funny is that half of the people saying yes in this thread still believe in free will. We can "control" the laws of physics! With our brain made of elements ruled by physics! What a miracle!

Mmm, free will is a separate issue from whether brain activity is solely produced by chemical and electrical activity.

That would only be true if behavior or thought were independent from brain activity, which they are not. So it is not a separate issue, people simply compartmentalize free will in their brains from logic to prevent reaching inevitable if uncomfortable conclusions.
clever but unsound reasoning, inconsistent—or outright specious—misapplication of rule to instance
kwizach
Profile Joined June 2011
3658 Posts
July 01 2013 01:40 GMT
#44
On July 01 2013 10:36 SergioCQH wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 01 2013 10:33 coverpunch wrote:
On July 01 2013 10:26 casuistry wrote:
Yes, it's all electrical and chemical events. Accept it.

What's really funny is that half of the people saying yes in this thread still believe in free will. We can "control" the laws of physics! With our brain made of elements ruled by physics! What a miracle!

Mmm, free will is a separate issue from whether brain activity is solely produced by chemical and electrical activity.


It's not a separate issue. If brain activity is deterministic, then free will doesn't exist. But brain activity is not absolutely deterministic. It's stochastic.

Could you explain why it's stochastic? So far the only factor making it non-deterministic that I've encountered is quantum mechanics.
"Oedipus ruined a great sex life by asking too many questions." -- Stephen Colbert
MountainDewJunkie
Profile Blog Joined June 2009
United States10346 Posts
July 01 2013 01:41 GMT
#45
Magic
[21:07] <Shock710> whats wrong with her face [20:50] <dAPhREAk> i beat it the day after it came out | <BLinD-RawR> esports is a giant vagina
GGTeMpLaR
Profile Blog Joined June 2009
United States7226 Posts
July 01 2013 01:41 GMT
#46
Is there something that transcends the material world?

I don't know - ask an intro to philosophy professor.
Roe
Profile Blog Joined June 2010
Canada6002 Posts
July 01 2013 01:41 GMT
#47
On July 01 2013 10:37 SergioCQH wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 01 2013 10:35 nbaker wrote:
On July 01 2013 10:33 SergioCQH wrote:
On July 01 2013 10:32 nbaker wrote:
I don't think so. There are many observations about the way the mind works that are not consistent with a completely finite, material mind.

Of interest:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/83870017/The-Present-Status-of-the-Innateness-Controversy
http://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195332834.003.0012


Yeah, let's not get philosophers involved in this. Philosophers are not scientists.

That's completely ridiculous. This is a philosophical issue.


It's only a philosophical issue right now because science hasn't progressed enough to make philosophers obsolete when it comes to this discussion.


No, it will always remain a philosophical issue. Science will never prove either determinism or free will, nor will it "prove" anything in fact.
sc2superfan101
Profile Blog Joined February 2012
3583 Posts
July 01 2013 01:41 GMT
#48
On July 01 2013 10:36 SergioCQH wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 01 2013 10:33 coverpunch wrote:
On July 01 2013 10:26 casuistry wrote:
Yes, it's all electrical and chemical events. Accept it.

What's really funny is that half of the people saying yes in this thread still believe in free will. We can "control" the laws of physics! With our brain made of elements ruled by physics! What a miracle!

Mmm, free will is a separate issue from whether brain activity is solely produced by chemical and electrical activity.


It's not a separate issue. If brain activity is deterministic, then free will doesn't exist. But brain activity is not absolutely deterministic. It's stochastic.

That is a philosophical statement... lol
My fake plants died because I did not pretend to water them.
Aerisky
Profile Blog Joined May 2012
United States12129 Posts
July 01 2013 01:42 GMT
#49
On July 01 2013 10:41 MountainDewJunkie wrote:
Magic

No, it's all science!! The electronic voyeur says so!
Jim while Johnny had had had had had had had; had had had had the better effect on the teacher.
Jockmcplop
Profile Blog Joined February 2012
United Kingdom9959 Posts
July 01 2013 01:43 GMT
#50
On July 01 2013 10:37 SergioCQH wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 01 2013 10:35 nbaker wrote:
On July 01 2013 10:33 SergioCQH wrote:
On July 01 2013 10:32 nbaker wrote:
I don't think so. There are many observations about the way the mind works that are not consistent with a completely finite, material mind.

Of interest:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/83870017/The-Present-Status-of-the-Innateness-Controversy
http://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195332834.003.0012


Yeah, let's not get philosophers involved in this. Philosophers are not scientists.

That's completely ridiculous. This is a philosophical issue.


It's only a philosophical issue right now because science hasn't progressed enough to make philosophers obsolete when it comes to this discussion.

If only people would have thought like this originally there would have been no need for pythagoras, plato and aristotle and all that nonsense.
RIP Meatloaf <3
EthanOz
Profile Joined September 2012
12 Posts
July 01 2013 01:44 GMT
#51
On July 01 2013 10:24 TheBigO wrote:
I feel like this question is impossible to answer.


You're wrong. We can examine brains and see what's in there.

If OP or any other person has any doubts is becouse they find reality too complicated to understand and gave up on science but still need an answer. The answer is obviously no, but if that doesn't make you happy or satisfied you can make up something like a soul or whatever you can think of. The problem with this is that the initial stupidity has not disappeared and it will manifest itself again by acusing gingers of not having a soul ( genetics too hard for me >.< god may have punished you haha! ) or burning alive women becouse they are "witches".

Don't get out of touch with reality OP, or we'll be killing ourselves becouse that guy said that he knew a guy who saw a guy who said there's a reason for everything and is too complicated for you to understand so you must do just what he tells you.
" you think champions stop because they look tired? " - Liquid Snute
aksfjh
Profile Joined November 2010
United States4853 Posts
July 01 2013 01:45 GMT
#52
On July 01 2013 10:13 SergioCQH wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 01 2013 10:12 aksfjh wrote:
As far as we can tell, yes. Although, one hopes there is more to it than that.


Why? Why does one need anything more when what we have is already so wonderful?

Well, if it is strictly chemical and physical reactions, it means predetermination is extremely likely.
SergioCQH
Profile Joined October 2010
United States143 Posts
July 01 2013 01:45 GMT
#53
On July 01 2013 10:40 kwizach wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 01 2013 10:36 SergioCQH wrote:
On July 01 2013 10:33 coverpunch wrote:
On July 01 2013 10:26 casuistry wrote:
Yes, it's all electrical and chemical events. Accept it.

What's really funny is that half of the people saying yes in this thread still believe in free will. We can "control" the laws of physics! With our brain made of elements ruled by physics! What a miracle!

Mmm, free will is a separate issue from whether brain activity is solely produced by chemical and electrical activity.


It's not a separate issue. If brain activity is deterministic, then free will doesn't exist. But brain activity is not absolutely deterministic. It's stochastic.

Could you explain why it's stochastic? So far the only factor making it non-deterministic that I've encountered is quantum mechanics.


Brownian motion, the mechanism through which neurotransmitters diffuse through the synaptic cleft is a stochastic process. Since neurotransmitter binding controls the ratio of excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials, whether or not EPSPs and IPSPs sum up to generate action potentials, and the timing and frequency of action potentials all depend on stochastic processes.

The difference between pulling the trigger or putting down the gun can be the difference between whether one neuron's neurotransmitters got there first or not.
Makro
Profile Joined March 2011
France16890 Posts
July 01 2013 01:45 GMT
#54
and you forgot sugar
Matthew 5:10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of shitposting, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven".
TL+ Member
coverpunch
Profile Joined December 2011
United States2093 Posts
July 01 2013 01:46 GMT
#55
On July 01 2013 10:38 casuistry wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 01 2013 10:33 coverpunch wrote:
On July 01 2013 10:26 casuistry wrote:
Yes, it's all electrical and chemical events. Accept it.

What's really funny is that half of the people saying yes in this thread still believe in free will. We can "control" the laws of physics! With our brain made of elements ruled by physics! What a miracle!

Mmm, free will is a separate issue from whether brain activity is solely produced by chemical and electrical activity.

That would only be true if behavior or thought were independent from brain activity, which they are not. So it is not a separate issue, people simply compartmentalize free will in their brains from logic to prevent reaching inevitable if uncomfortable conclusions.

You are aware that we know laughably little about how the brain works and how it influences thought and behavior, yes? It is incredibly pretentious and arrogant to reach such a far-reaching conclusion from so little evidence.
farvacola
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
United States18866 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-07-01 01:48:02
July 01 2013 01:47 GMT
#56
On July 01 2013 10:45 SergioCQH wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 01 2013 10:40 kwizach wrote:
On July 01 2013 10:36 SergioCQH wrote:
On July 01 2013 10:33 coverpunch wrote:
On July 01 2013 10:26 casuistry wrote:
Yes, it's all electrical and chemical events. Accept it.

What's really funny is that half of the people saying yes in this thread still believe in free will. We can "control" the laws of physics! With our brain made of elements ruled by physics! What a miracle!

Mmm, free will is a separate issue from whether brain activity is solely produced by chemical and electrical activity.


It's not a separate issue. If brain activity is deterministic, then free will doesn't exist. But brain activity is not absolutely deterministic. It's stochastic.

Could you explain why it's stochastic? So far the only factor making it non-deterministic that I've encountered is quantum mechanics.


Brownian motion, the mechanism through which neurotransmitters diffuse through the synaptic cleft is a stochastic process. Since neurotransmitter binding controls the ratio of excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials, whether or not EPSPs and IPSPs sum up to generate action potentials, and the timing and frequency of action potentials all depend on stochastic processes.

The difference between pulling the trigger or putting down the gun can be the difference between whether one neuron's neurotransmitters got there first or not.

Realize how important this lack of surety is, it lies at the base of the reason why interpretation of diagnostics of any kind are fundamentally limited.
"when the Dead Kennedys found out they had skinhead fans, they literally wrote a song titled 'Nazi Punks Fuck Off'"
obesechicken13
Profile Blog Joined July 2008
United States10467 Posts
July 01 2013 01:47 GMT
#57
These are the kind of threads that I don't even bother to reply to anymore. I feel like I've already figured out for myself that I don't believe in a soul. And this is probably a belief that will follow me for the rest of my life.
I think in our modern age technology has evolved to become more addictive. The things that don't give us pleasure aren't used as much. Work was never meant to be fun, but doing it makes us happier in the long run.
Orangered
Profile Joined June 2013
289 Posts
July 01 2013 01:49 GMT
#58
Interesting topic. I really don't have an answer right know, but to me this only shows that either the mind is too awesome that it can generate these things merely from electricity and chemistry, or that we know too little and that there is a lot more to go. Either one of those is an amazing fact in and of itself.
SergioCQH
Profile Joined October 2010
United States143 Posts
July 01 2013 01:49 GMT
#59
On July 01 2013 10:47 farvacola wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 01 2013 10:45 SergioCQH wrote:
On July 01 2013 10:40 kwizach wrote:
On July 01 2013 10:36 SergioCQH wrote:
On July 01 2013 10:33 coverpunch wrote:
On July 01 2013 10:26 casuistry wrote:
Yes, it's all electrical and chemical events. Accept it.

What's really funny is that half of the people saying yes in this thread still believe in free will. We can "control" the laws of physics! With our brain made of elements ruled by physics! What a miracle!

Mmm, free will is a separate issue from whether brain activity is solely produced by chemical and electrical activity.


It's not a separate issue. If brain activity is deterministic, then free will doesn't exist. But brain activity is not absolutely deterministic. It's stochastic.

Could you explain why it's stochastic? So far the only factor making it non-deterministic that I've encountered is quantum mechanics.


Brownian motion, the mechanism through which neurotransmitters diffuse through the synaptic cleft is a stochastic process. Since neurotransmitter binding controls the ratio of excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials, whether or not EPSPs and IPSPs sum up to generate action potentials, and the timing and frequency of action potentials all depend on stochastic processes.

The difference between pulling the trigger or putting down the gun can be the difference between whether one neuron's neurotransmitters got there first or not.

Realize how important this lack of surety is, it lies at the base of the reason why interpretation of diagnostics of any kind are fundamentally limited.


Surety? No scientist uses terms of certainty when discussing random processes. That would be stupid. That doesn't mean that the processes that science describe are not correct.
coverpunch
Profile Joined December 2011
United States2093 Posts
July 01 2013 01:50 GMT
#60
On July 01 2013 10:45 aksfjh wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 01 2013 10:13 SergioCQH wrote:
On July 01 2013 10:12 aksfjh wrote:
As far as we can tell, yes. Although, one hopes there is more to it than that.


Why? Why does one need anything more when what we have is already so wonderful?

Well, if it is strictly chemical and physical reactions, it means predetermination is extremely likely.

Why is that?

I would agree that a certain, perhaps large, amount of it is deterministic, but there can be wide variation. I would use reproduction as a parallel, given that is entirely a chemical process. We have laws of inheritance and can make broad predictions about a child from its parents, but end results are not necessarily inevitable and there are plenty of things where things may be unpredictably different.
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