Consciousness: Egnor on dualism: another example II (General)

by David Turell , Wednesday, August 29, 2018, 19:40 (2276 days ago) @ dhw

dhw: I doubt if anyone will disagree that “there are many different kinds of experience one can have in mind”. As for the rest, I suggest as I have done many times before that the author should step in front of a bus and, if he survives, tell us if he still thinks that an actual material world is unsupported by the evidence. We both agree that in life we have a material brain, and our discussion concerns whether there is such a thing as an immaterial mind or soul, and if there is, what role it plays in life. The above goes to extremes in its rejection of a material world, so I don’t see how the author could possibly support your claim that in life the soul/mind can’t think without translating its thought into electrical waves from the material brain, which it then translates back into its original thought so that it can understand what it was thinking about in the first place. As far as he is concerned, even the brain is "unsupported by the evidence"!

DAVID: I know you have problems with quantum/consciousness theories, but there is a immaterial mind without question and quantum reality is the basis of our reality. Ed Feser, a Catholic philosopher, in this video explains his view, using Descartes and Aristotle/St.Thomas as contrasting views. About 55 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6GmCyKylTw

dhw: I’m sorry, but timewise I am already at full stretch, and there is no limit to the number of theists and atheists we should all study! I have no problem understanding the concept of an immaterial mind, nobody understands quantum “reality”, but if you truly believe that “an actual material world…is unsupported by the evidence”, and this supports your theory that the immaterial mind can’t think without a material brain except when there is no brain, and even though according to your author there is no evidence for a material brain either, then so be it.

Strange reply. i'm sorry you don't have the time. That I accept, but please be clear, you have heard me many times say that I read and make my own conclusions. I don't buy all of his statements, but his contrast of St. Thomas and Descartes was very interestng. And I also recognize how uncomfortable you are with quantum theories.