Different in degree or kind: EVOLUTION (Introduction)

by dhw, Monday, January 05, 2015, 11:59 (3610 days ago) @ David Turell
edited by dhw, Monday, January 05, 2015, 12:05

dhw:Assuming that the “soul” is the form of energy that transmits its messages to the brain, do you believe that when ants / rats / crows / chimpanzees take decisions, devise strategies, solve problems etc. it is also their “souls” that send messages to their brains? And do you believe that the “soul” of, say, a chimpanzee is capable of a greater degree of decision-making, problem-solving etc. than an ant's?-DAVID: It is your assumption that the soul transmits to the brain, not mine. I have no idea how it works. I'll stick just with brains. -It's not my assumption (I don't even know if we have a “soul”). You wrote: “My thoughts go only so far as accepting that the brain is a receiver of consciousness and soul.” I'm trying to unravel the implications of your professed beliefs, and if you believe that the brain is a receiver of consciousness and soul, that can only mean you believe the soul transmits its messages to the brain. What else could the brain “receive” from the soul?-DAVID: We know that chimps can problem solve to a small degree. So do crows, but only humans have a very special ability to solve problems. I'm not avoiding you, I've never thought about this to reach any conclusions. I think therefore I am is as far as I have gone. My consciousness represents my soul. Are they one and the same? I think so.
 
Maybe you are not consciously avoiding me, but there is a built-in resistance to the direction in which this discussion is heading. If other animals can problem-solve to a small degree, you are already on the way to saying that only humans can solve problems to a greater degree. The focus at the moment, though, is on the mechanism for problem-solving. If, as you believe, animals have souls, the soul and consciousness are one and the same, and the brain is a receiver of consciousness, is it not reasonable to conclude that animals will have the same soul-to-brain problem-solving mechanism as humans?