Re:First, Let's Shoot All the Philosophers
by ristretto on Sunday July 24, 2011 @04:05PM
(#2800207)
I am often disapponted by the inadequacy of modern philosophy of mind to follow recent advances in neuroscience and the brain sciences in general. Many of them have inadequate knowledge of the fields or outright dismiss verified results in order to advance obscure entities such as "qualia", or to promote a dualistic view of the world. Some of them also like to use quantum mechanics as "correlates of consciousness", just because quantum mechanics is hard to understand, or they propose that "consciousness is a fundamental property of the universe". Such things remind more of new-age mumbo-jumbo rather than serious thinking. Generally, their role in the field has not been very constructive, and most neuroscientists quietly ignore them taking a physicalist approach.
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This attitude towards philosophy -- 'quietly ignore' -- has been the status quo in basically every discipline since the turn of the twentieth century. It certainly isn't unique to neuroscience.
Re:First, Let's Shoot All the Philosophers
by omarchowdhury on Monday July 25, 2011 @08:29AM
(#2802322)
Consciousness sure is a fundamental property of your universe.
The problem is some philosophers go so far as to suggest that consciousness is a fundamental property of the physical world that is only "detected" by brains, or that consciousness is in principle unexplainable. Imho, that's just rubbish.
Re:First, Let's Shoot All the Philosophers
by omarchowdhury on Tuesday July 26, 2011 @11:38AM
(#2807814)
It definitely is rubbish if you are grounded in physicalism.