Consciousness: Egnor on dualism: another example (General)

by David Turell , Sunday, August 05, 2018, 18:51 (2300 days ago) @ dhw

dhw: If plasticity of the brain is related to the level of cognition, and in this case the brain was given enough time to re-hone some of the visual tasks, it suggests to me that the brain is related to the level of cognition and also does the re-honing! I see no suggestion anywhere of a soul doing anything at all.

DAVID: Totally a materialism comment. I really don't think to expect anything different in our view. I've proposed, not proven, the soul plays a role with the brain functions. You have it separated off somewhere.

dhw: Sorry, but you’ve missed the point. This is not part of our discussion on the nature of dualism but on which of the two hypotheses is correct: dualism or materialism. The article does not mention a soul. If cognition depends on the plasticity of the brain, and if the brain rehones itself, that is evidence for materialism and not for dualism.

No it isn't. The brain is the material side of dualism. As a sole actor it has the right to have its own methods of change, with or without input from the soul. the soul might conribue to brain change or may not.

dhw: Same again under “chemical problems”:

DAVID: Another study which shows that a sick brain due to a missing chemical produces sick thoughts. The problem for dhw is if I or he uses the brain to think and the soul is I or he, why does dhw try to claim the soul thinks without the brain (as we in life don't) and thus the original thought is sick, not the expression of thought from a soul separated from the brain as dhw constantly tries to present. He doesn't seem to realize he is presenting his soul as separate from his actions with his own brain as if he is not his soul.

dhw: You are again conflating two separate issues. One is the definition of dualism, and the other is whether the soul exists (the dichotomy between materialism and dualism). The fact that drugs and diseases (including missing chemical products) change the way people think is evidence for materialism. Look at your own comment: “…a sick brain produces sick thoughts.” The belief that thought, consciousness, will etc. are produced by the body’s materials is the essence of materialism.

Once again you miss the point you've made: You are your soul, and if you in life use your brain to think, so does your soul. And then certainly a sick brain will produce sick thoughts for both you and your soul. The case you make for materialism simply recognizes that the brain is material. Dualism looks at the source of the immaterial output from the brain.