timber-
The mental states are physical objects according to Materialist theory.
They are states of the brain (mind, body what have you) apt for bringing about certain behaviour. They are real. Objects.
The gathered together mental states are an attempt to lend death what dignity we can. The more there are round one graveside the more the dignity we can lend them. See Winston Churchill's funeral in full. And at the end of the day there he was six foot under. He was used to the sods.
We did our best.
In a materialist world, under the exigencies of turning a buck to keep local taxes down, his body would have been carted off and processed into what was most profitable. In his case portions auctioned off. His rectum fetching a small fortune to be mounted on a tasteful pastel background for display over the fireplace in the smart home of New York's wealthiest art connoisseur thus starting a trend which results in the famous all being dug up and bits of them taking pride and place in the homes of trend followers up and down the land, as Mr Brown is wont to say, the hard working ones getting Mr Attlee's little toe nail. You are entitled to imagine how you yourself would fare.
I suppose one might argue that they deserve such a fate but that's a political argument and,as such, has no place on here.
It would just be a new form of art: who wants a Constable painting when you could get his kneecap. And a new form of dignity. A new sort of mental states.
What they would make of a wedding is anybody's guess. You might be able to get married in the pub at 10pm, take her round the back where the empties are stacked to give her one, get divorced at 12.00 (In England I mean- 10.10 where you are) and still catch last orders.
That's dignified enough for any right thinking evolutionist surely?
But, of course, there won't be any pubs and no mixing of the sexes except under official supervision in a materialist world.
The main point though is that the mental states are objects and thus real.And one lot built New York.
"Evoked" is a neat word.
hmm..
I'd rather have einstein's thoughts than a piece of his brain.
I'd rather have playboy magazine that a shriveled ole tit...
But then I'm not a materialist...
