Free Will, Consciousness, Identity (Identity)

by David Turell , Tuesday, August 21, 2012, 16:53 (4265 days ago) @ dhw
edited by unknown, Tuesday, August 21, 2012, 17:39

David, in my post to you last night I wrote something that didn't make sense. I must stop writing at night!
> 
> Van Lommel's image of the brain as a receiver IS what I understand by dualism, i.e. the physical brain receives and responds to signals from the non-physical mind. 
> 
> My comment "Not as I understand it" should have referred to your interpretation of Nahmias's argument as meaning that the material brain produces a non-material mind. This suggestion goes too far for me, as I tried to explain later in my post (though I find all explanations of consciousness unlikely). In any case, I can't find it anywhere in his article ... he simply explains that free will involves conscious control, but doesn't ask where the capacity for conscious control might come from. He just indicates that we need a "more complete" scientific theory to account for it. -I'm still confused in general, but appreciate your clarification. Yes, Nahmias thinks the brain produces the mind in some manner, but a main thrust of his article is to downgrade the leap of faith from Libet's work that our biochemical/electrical processes in the brain control everything, which the atheists like Sam Harris (he mentions specifically) accept unconditionally since that concept is a marvelous support for materialistic atheism. Instead Nahmias points out our developmental backgrounds as a fertile field to color our decision-making. He specifically states the brain gears up to make decisions, and we make the decisions. Goodbye Libet, as other studies mentioned here have shown. -In my medical school training we were taught that personality was 40 % inherited, 40% taught by family and 20% an amalgum of further experience. The twins raised apart studies are in full support of this concept.-An article in the WSJ adds to the concept of the building an enormous background into the developing brain. Some adolescent and young adult brains develop into the late 20's before finishing. -http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443713704577601532208760746.html?KEYWORDS=Melinda+Beck