Brain complexity: learning new tasks (Introduction)

by David Turell , Sunday, November 26, 2017, 19:31 (2554 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: Answered in the other thread. Dualism not renounced. I've explained soul/brain/ consciousness many times. Can't help if I don't repeat it all every time. You fully well know what I think.

dhw: I know what you think, but in trying to defend your hypothesis of God expanding the brain BEFORE the arrival of new concepts, you are repeatedly forced to contradict your own beliefs! That is why, as above, you keep saying things like more advanced thought is “provided by larger more complex brain”. (See below for another example.) Either the brain provides thought (materialism) or thought is what activates the brain (dualism). If thought activates the brain, then you cannot argue that thought is provided by the brain! But precisely that is the process required if you argue that the brain had to expand BEFORE homo could THINK of the concept.

A larger brain is capable of more complexity to develop with a larger cortex in each jump in size. That is what you miss. More cortex, more consciousness mechanism received for the soul to use, and as this happens the brain can remake its connections and neurons to more efficiently use its consciousness, and stay the same size for that stage of hominin development..

DAVID: Your theory never explains a 200cc jump in size. Only God explains it.

dhw: My theory explains (for the umpteenth time) that a jump was necessary when the existing size could no longer cope with the demands made on it by new tasks and concepts.

But at the smaller size the hominin couldn't think of those tasks and concepts which only appear with the next sized brain, as shown by the artifacts..

DAVID: If they don't have the brain capacity to think of a new concept it can't be implemented. (dhw's bold)

dhw: And back you go to claiming that it is the brain that THINKS of the concept. (Brain capacity is what is needed to IMPLEMENT the concept.) It may well be that the brain does our thinking, but you are the dualist who claims that it doesn’t! (I am not taking sides, but merely pointing out how you continue to contradict yourself.) If you believe your “soul” does the thinking, then your “soul” thinks of the new concept, and if the brain does not have the CAPACITY to IMPLEMENT the concept, then clearly it has to increase its capacity and expand.

You keep ignoring my concept of the brain as a receiver of a consciousness mechanism! Bigger brain receives a larger more complex consciousness.

dhw: It also explains how and why other organisms, from immune cells to pre-whales, also change their structures without any need for your God to preprogramme every change or to dabble personally. But he may have designed the mechanism enabling organisms to make the changes.

DAVID: Again God-lite!

dhw: This is the feeblest of all your arguments. As you quite rightly say yourself on the “Evolution and humans” thread, “an alternative God approach is still God”.

And He will be sure His purposes are carried out. Don't you think He has purposes and goals?