Big brain evolution: brain size and intelligence (Evolution)

by David Turell , Monday, April 02, 2018, 14:48 (2425 days ago) @ dhw

dhw: Since you now agree that according to your dualistic beliefs the s/s/c does the thinking and the brain does the implementing, it must be clear to you that the pre-sapiens brain would not have needed to expand before the s/s/c could come up with new immaterial concepts (which are thoughts). The expansion was required for the material implementation of the new concepts. With this in mind, I will try in the next few days to formulate an explanation that might eliminate the dichotomy between this dualistic view of the thinking self and the materialistic view that the material brain is the source of immaterial thought.

DAVID: Yes it would need to expand. Using my analogy of software/hardware, hominin advances required a larger brain be present to support more complex concepts. In life the s/s/c uses the brain to think. You imply the s/s/c is somehow independent in life but impart thoughts to the brain for implementation from a distance. Not so. They are completely interlocked, and we even have a good idea of where the different parts of the s/s/c and the brain perform differing functions together.

dhw: You repeatedly agree with my interpretation of dualism, and then you repeatedly try to disagree by messing around with the vocabulary. You have agreed repeatedly that in life the s/s/c (software) does the thinking and uses the brain (hardware) to IMPLEMENT its thoughts (or to use the information provided by the brain). But back you go to “the s/s/c uses the brain to think”. And now suddenly you manufacture a brand new objection: “from a distance”. Where have you conjured that from? Of course in life the dualist’s immaterial self acts inside the material self. They would only separate at death or during NDEs. That is why NDEs are regarded as evidence that during life we consist of a material and an immaterial self. Please stop agreeing and then manufacturing reasons to disagree.

The disagreement in my statement has to do only with the other issue between us: expansion of the brain. Only a more complex computer can handle more complex software. Only a larger brain can allow a more complex s/s/c to function in life. Your theory that the need for conceptualization forces the appearance of a larger brain has no basis in the facts we have before us. The "hot spots" in the genome that drove brain expansion are purposeful actions by God in my view.