Brain expansion (Evolution)

by David Turell , Monday, July 13, 2020, 18:36 (1592 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: I agree with you, earlier brains undoubtedly had some degree of plasticity and complexification. Advances in evolution build on previous processes and structures, and the bold is straight from my thinking. In contrast, I view the thought mechanisms for the soul to use for new ideas must appear in a new-sized brain, and then implementation can occur.

dhw: Your last sentence implies that the dualist’s soul uses material mechanisms to do its thinking, but I was under the impression that the dualist’s soul – while dependent on the material brain for information and the ability to implement its thoughts – was something immaterial (hence its ability to survive the death of the body). If that is correct, it would not need the new-sized brain until the existing (and autonomous) capacity for complexification proved to be inadequate to implement the new thought. Hence expansion through the process of implementation. Once the new brain existed, then the same process would repeat itself if the soul came up with new ideas that exceeded the existing capacity.

An exact distortion of what I have previously written about my dualism theory: to repeat, in life the soul MUST use the brain mechanisms to develop thought and concepts. In death it is free and on its own to think. My concept of dualism is not yours, ever, and would not fit/allow your view of how expansion might happen naturally. You want natural expansion. I see God as the designer.

dhw: I still don’t know why you think your God could not have given earlier brains the same mechanism for autonomous complexification and expansion as the one you recognize as being present in the modern brain, although you refuse to countenance the possibility that the mechanism might be cellular intelligence.

DAVID: I've not changed my ideas and theories. Our major difference is I see God as running evolution.

dhw: By “running” you mean controlling every phase of evolution through preprogramming or direct dabbling. That does not answer my question, since you have agreed that the modern brain autonomously “runs” its own system of complexification, minor enlargement and shrinkage. Why could it not have done so (without shrinkage) in former times?

I've previously stated several times that past smaller less complex brains probably had some form of complexification ability. We cannot know about shrinkage from the fossils.

DAVID: None of sapiens' brain history fits your thoughts. Remember the sapiens brain only began to shrink in the very recent past as we/souls started to use the brain in its full available capacity. The stasis in use becomes very obvious when viewed this way.

dhw: Of course the history fits my thoughts! Pre-sapiens brains expanded. Nobody knows why. The idea that they expanded because new concepts, discoveries, experiences required a greater capacity for implementation of the resultant new ideas does not contradict the history – it offers an explanation of the history! Shrinkage (loss of cells) resulted from the increased efficiency of complexification in dealing with new ideas, whereas in the past when complexification was not so efficient, the brain would have required MORE cells – hence expansion. Stasis simply relates to the absence of new ideas and hence of new expansions/complexifications.

We are currently discussing the evidence from sapiens brains and since it doesn't fit your natural theory of expansion you have scurried back to pre-sapiens brains to avoid the problem. Please stick to the subject, sapiens brains and long initial stasis of ideas/artifacts.

DAVID: As for cell intelligence, my view is not changed. They appear to react intelligently because of God's intelligent instructional information they contain.

dhw: “Intelligent instructional information” being an impressive-sounding term for programmes - a view which has led you ultimately to the absurd suitcase analogy discussed elsewhere.

Answered in that entry. You use programs like a dirty word. You never like the concept of God's implanted instructions/information. IDer's deal with it at great length.