Post-materialist science manifesto (Introduction)

by George Jelliss , Crewe, Sunday, February 22, 2015, 23:40 (3561 days ago) @ David Turell

I've put together a full response to the Manifesto:-1. The word "materialism" is often used pejoratively. It is taken to imply crude consumerism, and lack of artistic feeling. But in modern physics matter is interchangeable with energy. So why do we never hear complaints about "Energism"? Also matter cannot exist without the forces and fields that hold it together. It is not the whole story.-2,3. The "scientific materialism" they complain about is a straw man, a figment of their imaginations. If mind is just another word for brain activity (which few would surely deny) who has ever said that our thoughts cannot have any effect upon our brains? I would say it is the reorganisation of neuron connections that constitutes thought.-4,6. Scientific methods have indeed been highly successful, but not because they have been based on any ideology, but because on the contrary they depend on radical scepticism. In section 6 they agree with this. -5. The claim that science has neglected subjective experiences is untrue. Much work has been done. The results may not have been so productive yet, but that is the nature of the subject.-7. The claim that quantum mechanics introduces the mind or consciousness of the observer into the equations is very ambiguously stated. This is only one of numerous interpretations of QM.-8. The psychological studies they mention that show effects of mental activity on physiology, surely only go to support the contention that mind is brain and nervous system activity.-9. The claims made for "psi" phenomena are just false. Nothing so definite as they claim has ever been shown. I notice that Rupert Sheldrake is one of the signatories of the manifesto, and this is his field of research.-10,11. Likewise the claims for out of body perception during Near Death Experiences, and the abilities of those who claim to be spiritualist mediums, are overblown.-12,13. The above claims are not considered false or "anomalous" for ideological reasons, but because the results do not meet the standards of scientific proof.-14. This is another false claim. Mind as brain activity is a perfectly coherent concept.-15,16. This is the statement of their manifesto, and reveals their real agenda. They want to introduce a concept of "mind" as a separate existence apart from matter and energy. To avoid confusion it would be better to call this "spirit" or "life-force". This is said to be "interconnected" with and able to affect the physical world, but they don't say how. Further although mind is unbounded in space it can somehow form separate minds, yet these are, or may become, part of one mind, what ever that means. This is redolent of Deepak Chopra's "universal consciousness", or some form of God as Great Spirit. They retain material science, but overlay it with spirituality, but fail to put forward any coherent theory of how they interact. Perhaps by Sheldrake's morphogenesis? But they don't endorse this.-17. They claim their post-materialism gives us back our "dignity and power" but I was unaware we had lost it, or had much in the first place. Why can't materialists favour compassion respect and peace? Far from creating a "deep connection" between ourselves and nature it seems to me they are separating us from nature. Materialists can also have environmental awareness and favour the preservation of life forms, and be contemplative.-18. Their final claim that their ideas are revolutionary is hubristic. There is nothing whatsoever new in it. It is a reversion to dualism.

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GPJ