Information and free will (Introduction)

by romansh , Saturday, October 22, 2011, 21:25 (4781 days ago) @ David Turell

Our are brains somehow not described by basic chemistry? How can our 'will' be free from being described by the Law of Mass Action?

I don't follow your reasoning at all. Yes we are stardust, a la Fred Hoyle, but brain chemistry is not basic chemistry. It is biochemistry which creates ion surges down axons to multiple synapses mediated by acetylcholine. How nerve cells decided to appear is a complete puzzle to the Darwinists. Ask Dawkins. He will have no idea. But then neither do I. The brain is very plastic and can even develop new neurons and axon connections at my tender age. My consciousness is an outgrowth of that amazing computer. But computers do not have consciousness. My show poodle is conscious, but he is not aware that he is aware. Because my consciousness is an emergent property of my brain it is free to do what it wants. It creates my personality pretty much at my direction. So, yes, I am the product of the physical and chemical laws of the universe, but I have become independent of them in my view. We all can choose to fly in a plane and defy gravity for the moment.

Frankly, David I have great distrust of the concept of (or appeal to) emergence. While there are many flavours of emergence, wiki gives two flavours weak and strong, Weak emergence is simply the recognition that reductionism is not worth the effort of an "emergent" phenomenon or it is beyond our current abilities. This is my interpretation,

Whereas strong emergence is an appeal to magic. Which I suppose this is what you are suggesting.

At the end of the day you have not addressed my point. The plasticity etc that you describe are they not ultimately described one atom, ion and electron at a time by chemistry?

We will have to agree to disagree on this subject. And also about Susan Blackmore. I've carefully read her book, 'Dying to Live' and her handling and criticism of physicans' books on Near to Death episodes (especially the medical physiologic content) is amateurish and totally incorrect.. I tore her book apart in my book,Chapter 5. I admit her Zen buddhist approach to consciousness is way beyond my zone of knowledge. I can't comment on the site you sent us to.

I was simply asking whether you agreed with her experience when she asks Am I conscious now? I don't expect you to start labelling the teapot or anything.