Brain scans; being human (Introduction)

by dhw, Tuesday, January 11, 2011, 12:56 (5068 days ago) @ xeno6696

MATT: [...] we don't have positive evidence for what in the brain causes consciousness.-MATT: We have no valid explanation for how consciousness could be "outside" of you, therefore it stands to reason that the brain IS you.-MATT (in an earlier post): It is intrinsically unreasonable to put belief in something when it is not supported by positive evidence.-While I will happily go along with your hypothesis that the brain is the centre of consciousness, that does not mean it is the SOURCE of consciousness. It may well be, but the counter-thesis is that the brain is the receiver or physical medium through which consciousness works. Your evidence is that "if you harm the brain enough, you cease to be conscious." True. If you wreck my TV set, I shan't be able to get any more pictures. Until you have positive evidence that the brain is the SOURCE of consciousness, is it not ... according to your criteria ... intrinsically unreasonable to believe that the brain IS you? Or do you really want to claim that not having a valid explanation for (a) is reason enough to believe in (b)? If so, could it not be argued that since we do not have a valid explanation for how life and the mechanisms of evolution could spontaneously have chanced to form themselves, it stands to reason that they were designed?-Welcome to the world of agnosticism!