Science of Self (Humans)

by romansh , Friday, March 14, 2014, 01:25 (3906 days ago) @ dhw

1) You consider "emergence" to be a non word, and prefer "synergism", which means the same thing. Well, so long as we understand each other...
Exactly. But you missed my point, we make a model - reality does not quite fit we call it emergence or synergy.
> 2) When you say "the absence of self", you don't mean the self doesn't exist, but the self is not what it seems to be. I have described what I mean by the self (see also below), and you have not disagreed (yet).
For me the self is an arbitrary boundary we draw around ourselves. Quite literally every bit of your self has come from elsewhere and temporarily is considered dhw. Quite pragmatic, but has certain consequences.-> 3) Like Blackmore, you think we are not "actually conscious". I think we are, or we would not be having this discussion.
Not quite ... I can see Blackmore's point of view with a little bit of introspection.
> 4) You say the compatibilists (who go back at least 250 years!) have subtly changed your definition of free will to incorporate "conscious", as in "the ability to make conscious choices". I don't know of anyone other than you who would associate the term with choices that are not conscious ... though of course that does not mean that we have such an ability.
Not just mine. -
> Here is the main point I would like to discuss with you: I wrote that "I cannot ignore the fact that I consciously weigh up options before I take certain types of decision."
I would have written
"I cannot ignore that I think I consciously weigh up options before I take certain types of decision." This is I think a little more agnostic on the subbject. 
 
> Our thoughts "manipulate" our bioelectrochemistry all the time. ....
Here we dip our toes into Cartesian dualism.
 
> With regard to free will ... the ability to make conscious choices .......-That you think you could have done otherwise is interesting. Thinking that you could do otherwise does not mean you have free will dhw.-And condolences on your loss. My heart goes out to you.-Sorry ... bit of a hurry tonight.