extra medium wrote:I still have issues with how a this lump of flesh--a brain--can describe "meaning" to something.
Through the interaction of neurotrasmitters along the dendrite connections of neurons, a human brain interacts with the universe. Some of the data held within the brain and utilised in its calculations are known as meanings.
Quote:Lets look at this: A person is pretty much a brain. A lump of flesh.
That's grossly oversimplifying the remarkable capacities and intricate workings of our brain and ancilliary organs, but yes.
Quote:How can a lump of material possibly ascribe "meaning" to other material, etc?
As I said above, through the interactions of neurotransmitters along the dendrite connection between neurons.
Quote:like the lump of material is telling itself stories or something?
Don't get me started on the human brain's propensity to fool itself. We could be here all week.
Quote:A lump of material called a brain is telling itself bizarre stories about other materials, and the world and what it thinks has meaning?
...pretty much, yeah.
Quote:Its like we're silly robots of flesh tricking ourself into there being meaning or something?
Yep. You really are belabouring the point here, incidentally.
Quote:Okay, if you are saying Materialism, then go with it.
Sure. I already do.
Quote:Everything is Material, including You.
Yes, that pretty much covers it.
Quote:You are simply more Material!
If by "more material" you mean "additional material", then yes. Otherwise I am no more material than any other randomly selected cluster of matter, tied together through covalent bonds and human assosciative perception.
Quote:How can you possibly say everything is simply Material, but you are somehow special Material?
Have you seen that other material?
(I get the feeling that's one of my jokes that no one is going to get).
Anyway, to answer your question... I don't.
Quote:You are just Material! Simply Material.
Remember that whole "belabouring the point" thing we were talking about... yeah.
Quote:How can you say one Material has more "meaning" or something than another?
Theoretical answer: Linguistic regions of my brain develop a concept which is sent through the brainstem into the nervous system where my mouth causes vibrations in the air.
Practical answer: I don't.
Not that either really matter since it appears your question was rhetorical.
Quote:Even if you don't agree with me, can you see where I am coming from on this?
No.
Quote:What distinguishes you from a rock?
Proportions of carbon and hydrogen to silicates.
Quote:Just because you have this "consciousness"? So what? Those brain states and experiences and atomic arrangements and memories are simply more rock-like Material?
Uhhh, I'll accept for now that we're talking about material substance and thus by an exceptionally broad definition the brain is "rock-like" as much as it pains the detailed and finicky side of me.
Quote:What distinguishes your consciousness and substance and experience from a rock?
It's mostly made of carbon?
Quote:Its just a different arrangement of Material.
Ah, good. You understand.
Quote:Its like you're asking me to believe Everything is Simply Material.
Can't say that I asked you to believe that. I do propose it as an apt and accurate description of reality, which you're more than welcome to accept.
Quote:Except You. You are Special because You (Brain Material) ascribe Special Meaning to Your Brain Material and The Material your Brain Cells Hold (remember).
You're welcome not to use your human ability to differentiate various types of matter if that's your choice. You won't live much longer than 2 minutes after you try breathing water or eating rat poison, but it's your choice.
Quote:But its all Sand of a Rock!
Let's try this one more time.
Rock: Mostly formed of silicon a rock is a solid-state geological structure found throughout most of the crust of the planet Earth. It is differentiated from the chemically similar material magma (mostly found deeper inside the planet Earth) by the simple fact that magma is a liquid-state material.
Human brain: Mostly formed of carbon bonded in long chains to both hydrogen and oxygen, the human brain contains both solid and liquid state forms of matter. Usually located within the skull of the mamallian vertebrate homo sapiens. Aside from this common location it is differentiated from other similar brains of other species by the advanced cerebrum and neocortex.
Object differentiation is a fairly basic skill. I would hope that your philosophical orientations would not overly impede it.
Quote:Do you at least see where I am coming from with this?
No.
Quote:Doesn't compute to me.
So I've noticed.
Quote:Either its All Materialism, or Not.
Well, that's a false dichotomy, but yes it is all material.
Quote:Cant say All is Material, oh, Except Me...
You can. I don't. But you can.
Quote:Why? Its all Equal Material
It's possibly related to capitalisation.
Quote:Perhaps you think of us as primarily smart robots full of chemicals, and not much more?
An overly simplistic, yet fundamentally accurate description. Yes.
Quote:If that is so, I'd say then yeah, your philosophy seems to fit.
Thankyou for your approval.
Quote:But if you are saying "humans can make their special meanings etc etc" then I don't think it fits.
...
Meanings are human concepts, meaning that they are arrangements of matter within the brain. Human brains by arranging this matter can cause "objects" to have "meanings". This doesn't mean that the universe gives a damn or the object is in any way changed by this allocation.
Quote:Can you see where I am coming from on this?
No.
