Dualism versus materialism (Identity)

by dhw, Tuesday, July 25, 2017, 13:28 (2457 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: Artifacts are external evidence.

Yes, they are evidence of an idea that has been implemented.

DAVID: Habilis cannot imagine erectus' spear.

According to you, ideas are the product of the “soul”, not of the brain. One fine day, smaller-brained pre-erectus (habilis?) came up with the idea of (imagined) a spear, and the effort of implementing the idea required material change to the brain – namely, expansion. Hence erectus’s bigger brain. What makes you think the bigger brain was necessary for the IMAGINATION of an object, if IMAGINATION is the product of the “soul” and not the brain?

DAVID: Reading involves internal complex use of several parts of the brain and the brain rewires. Not at all comparable.

Implementing the idea of a spear required new use of the brain (no-one had ever before instructed their body to attach sharpened stones to specially prepared shafts, test the balance and practise the throwing) – hence material change to the brain in the form of expansion. The illiterate women’s idea of reading required new use of the brain, but instead of expanding (no more room for expansion), the material change to the brain took the form of rewiring. Entirely comparable.