Consciousness: only half brain needed (General)

by David Turell , Tuesday, November 26, 2019, 15:35 (1822 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: There is another side to this discussion. Have you forgotten that split brain folks also have one intact consciousness. We both agree the brain neurons know how to change brain connections. That is built in and of no issue. You seize on smell and vision to support your theory and I am discussing only at the level of immaterial whole consciousness with parts of a brain always able to produce it. I'm with Egnor and the evidence. How does that happen if consciousness comes only from a material brain? Unless you can define your materialism differently, you make no sense.

dhw: It is not my theory. I remain neutral. However, materialism argues that the source of consciousness is the material cells, and if parts of a brain (i.e. material cells) “are always able to produce it”, that means that cells are always able to produce it! You could hardly state a clearer case for materialism! And the article shows that if parts of the brain lose the ability to see or hear, the remaining parts of the brain use their consciousness to cooperate in taking on the new tasks.

DAVID: Your analysis means a material evolution developed an immaterial form in our consciousness. Incredulous!

dhw: We have been over the arguments for and against materialism and dualism many times, and I am surprised that you are now surprised that materialists believe that consciousness has a material source. I am also surprised at your failure to answer the points I have made above in relation to the article, which you claimed provided evidence for dualism.

I was being sarcastic. None of us know how the material creates the immaterial. And its persistence no matter how many neurons are left, means if one thinks of consciousness having a functional active size, that means in materialism each neuron is capable of doing more and more work.