Big brain evolution: changes in sapiens skull shape;addendum (Evolution)

by dhw, Wednesday, February 21, 2018, 13:58 (2465 days ago) @ dhw

PART TWO

TONY: "Ability to control emotion"...sounds very much like psychology, unless you subscribe to a 100% mechanistic view of intelligence and emotion.
What they measured was brain activity. The interpretation of that activity, versus what it actually means, is actually pure speculation. We know this to be true because we have no way of definitively knowing what another person is thinking or feeling, or why.
DAVID: I think we can accept MRI studies establishing general areas of use and control not very precise meanings. I commented on this inexactitude many times . The amgdala does deal with emotional states and must have firm connections with the pre-frontal judgmental area for good emotional controls.. The psychological actions as stated are fairly straightforward. I don't trust clinical psychololgy studies. They often cannot be replicated, but I see this at a more controlled level.

Tony has hit the nail on the head. Unless you subscribe to a 100% mechanistic view, i.e. materialism, the meaning of the MRI studies is pure speculation, because in the context of dualism, the question is whether all this brain activity denotes that the brain creates the thoughts or responds to the thoughts. Once upon a time, David, you viewed the brain as only a receiver. (I always prefer “brain” to the more limited “pre-frontal cortex” as I am far from convinced that specific mental activities can be restricted to specific areas of the brain. My doubts seem to be confirmed by the article). By siding with “current medical theory”, David, you are siding with materialism.

DAVID: I used risk taking as an example. The judgment about the consequences of any new action by an individual is impaired or limited until the development of the prefrontal cortex is complete.

dhw: Most forms of human judgement are impaired or limited by a wide variety of circumstances. Only a God would be able to see the full picture of whatever we make judgements about. And if I were a dualist, I would vehemently deny that judgement depends on the pre-frontal cortex. Every statement you make about this confirms your materialism.
DAVID: And I continue to insist the s/s/c must be able to interface with fully developed functional areas of the brain to provide proper thought to the living individual.

What do you mean by “proper” thought? The living individual IS the self. Yes, the s/s/c must and does liaise with the functional area of the brain. According to you as a dualist, with your belief that not only does the s/s/c control the brain but it also survives the brain, it is the s/s/c that takes decisions (makes judgements) and not the brain. Whether a judgement is proper/mature or not is a highly subjective matter and applies to any age.

dhw: Defence attorneys use “diminished responsibility” of one sort or another in vast numbers of cases involving all ages, and ultimately it all ties up with the materialist argument that we do not have free will. I remain neutral, but you don’t. You have always argued that the soul/self has free will. Meanwhile, you have not responded to the logical extension of your argument: according to you, no one under the age of 25 is capable of reaching a rational conclusion because their pre-frontal cortex is not fully developed. A mass murderer over 25 has made a proper adult judgement because his pre-frontal cortex is fully developed. Is that what you believe?

DAVID: Current medical theory. I accept it.

Goodbye to your dualism, goodbye to your free will, and three cheers for current medical theory.