Consciousness: Egnor on dualism (General)

by David Turell , Friday, December 01, 2017, 14:47 (2547 days ago) @ dhw

dhw: If “pre-frontal” sections help to form personality (materialist approach), then Egnor’s “evidence” for dualism is badly weakened. But I’m not prejudging – I’d just like to know. And thank you again for telling us about this extraordinary case.

DAVID: You are welcome. But I would state it differently. The soul/consciousness uses the prefrontal cortex as the personality develops in a child.

dhw: If the prefrontal cortex is the seat of the personality, and the children are not joined at the prefrontal cortex, I’m afraid Egnor’s example provides no evidence whatsoever for dualism. Your own comment simply means that the two children have different souls, and that would apply to everybody, joined or not.

DAVID: Egnor's opinion repeated:
"The evidence for dualism, and specifically for Thomistic dualism, is abundant in neuroscience. We are composites of material powers and immaterial powers. In the traditional way of understanding man, we are composites of matter and spirit, and we bridge the gap between the two realms of nature."
'Nuff said.

dhw: Not ‘nuff said. I know what dualism means, and I am not disagreeing with Egnor’s opinion. I am simply pointing out that this particular case, which he cites as EVIDENCE of dualism, is no such thing if the shared part of the brain only governs activities unrelated to the individual personality of each twin.

Good point.