Free Will: Egnor shows neurological proof (Introduction)

by dhw, Tuesday, December 01, 2020, 14:16 (1235 days ago) @ David Turell

dhw: Egnor follows option 2, as does Aquinas: “My free will is inclination based on abstract reasoning that arises wholly from me. Nothing other than me determines my will.” But Egnor also says: “…these complex seizures always involve concrete thoughts and actions” but “There are no seizures that invoke abstract thought or abstract decisions—there are no free will seizures.” If the soul is responsible for abstract reasoning, then it should be able to reason about the concrete thoughts that occur when the brain is sick. BUT IT DOESN’T! So how on earth does this “prove” that there is a soul and there is free will? On the contrary, it supports the materialist equation of sick brain = sick thoughts, clever brain = clever thoughts, stupid brain = stupid thoughts. (However, this is contradicted by NDEs, in which abstract reasoning takes place when the brain is not functioning. Hence my own agnosticism on the subject.)

DAVID: The point is the brain never produces abstract thought during seizures. Only the soul can do that as it uses the brain. You can't avoid that thought.

The point is that the SOUL never produces abstract thought during seizures, but if only the soul does the thinking (as you have agreed), it should be able to think about the information being sent to it by the sick brain. IT DOESN’T. Conclusion: the mechanism for abstract thought (Egnor equates it with reasoning) has been put out of action by the brain seizure, and therefore the mechanism for abstract thought must be part of the brain. Hence "sick brain = sick thoughts".

dhw: You have now agreed that whether we believe in free will or not depends on what we think the will is free from. Option 1: free from all influences beyond our control (e.g. the nature of our brain). Option 2: free from all constraints other than those imposed by the situation and by our own limitations. These options apply whether you are a dualist or a materialist.

DAVID: Yes.

Thank you.