173. Notes - the spiritual aspects of mind / consciousness

173. 28 July 2019

       You are with cold McD drinks at the north entrance to Macy's waiting on Carol as she shops for sales on this warm summer afternoon. - Amorella

       1304 hours. At least there is a breeze and it is not so muggy as it was a week ago. The last three sections of "Philosophy of Mind" from Wikipedia: Science, Neuroscience and Physics do not appear to be of use, as they, by definition are fact-oriented leaving no room for spiritual references.

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Science

The current scientific consensus across all fields is that there is no evidence for the existence of any kind of soul in the traditional sense . . ..

Neuroscience

Neuroscience as an interdisciplinary field, and its branch of cognitive neuroscience particularly, operates under the ontological assumption of physicalism. In other words, it assumes—in order to perform its science—that only the fundamental phenomena studied by physics exist. 

Physics

Physicist Sean M. Carroll has written that the idea of a soul is incompatible with quantum field theory (QFT). He writes that for a soul to exist: "Not only is new physics required, but dramatically new physics.

Within QFT, there can't be a new collection of 'spirit particles' and 'spirit forces' that interact with our regular atoms, because we would have detected them in existing experiments." . . . 

Some theorists have invoked quantum indeterminism as an explanatory mechanism for possible soul/brain interaction, but neuroscientist Peter Clarke found errors with this viewpoint, noting there is no evidence that such processes play a role in brain function; Clarke concluded that a Cartesian soul has no basis from quantum physics.

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       The scientists mentioned above follow a strict protocol in terms of science; certainly, physics has to be a part of what science is. 'Spirit particles' do not exist, thus the soul is not scientifically detectable. By most modern definitions of science therefore conclude the metaphysics of the soul is not applicable. 

       This selection of the article ends with, "Clarke concluded that the Cartesian soul has no basis from quantum physics." From this, I jump to the next selection in the list, Mind-Body dualism. mh

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[I separated sentences below into segments to make it easier for me to read and understand; if you are interested go to the actual article(s) in Wikipedia for your readings. - rho]

Mind–body dualism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

  (Redirected from Cartesian dualism)

                                                     

Mind–body dualism, or mind–body duality, is a view in the philosophy of mind that mental phenomena are, in some respects, non-physical, or that the mind and body are distinct and separable. 

Thus, it encompasses a set of views about the relationship between mind and matter, and between subject and object, and is contrasted with other positions, such as physicalism and enactivism, in the mind–body problem. 

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         Obviously, the spiritual aspects of the mind are non-physical (no physics). However, the separation is less than fully distinct from the combined 'hardwired' heartanmind aspect. Humans cannot be distinctly and fully human without use of heartanmind together. - mh

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Continuing:

Aristotle shared Plato's view of multiple souls and further elaborated a hierarchical arrangement, corresponding to the distinctive functions of plants, animals, and people: 

a nutritive soul of growth and metabolism that all three share; a perceptive soul of pain, pleasure, and desire that only people and other animals share; 

and the faculty of reason that is unique to people only. 

In this view, a soul is the hylomorphic form [matter and form] of a viable organism, wherein each level of the hierarchy formally supervenes upon the substance of the preceding level. 

Thus, for Aristotle, all three souls perish when the living organism dies.

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         Mr. Orndorff's blog is limited to the human soul only. The human soul has no hierarchy, the soul is most generally holistic in its nature. The soul can perish but it is by the soul's will alone. It cannot perish while 'carrying' a human or human-like heartanmind. - mh

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Continuing:

For Plato however, the soul was not dependent on the physical body; he believed in metempsychosis, the migration of the soul to a new physical body. 

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         [Metempsychosis is a philosophical term in the Greek     language referring to transmigration of the soul, especially   its reincarnation after death. Generally, the term is derived from the context of ancient Greek philosophy, and has been recontextualised by modern philosophers such as Arthur Schopenhauer and Kurt Gödel; otherwise, the term "transmigration" is more appropriate. . ..    (Selected from Wikipedia)]

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         The human soul is, within its own aspect, subject to transmigration; especially among the closest of friends. This can best be understood within a poetic framework not a scientific one, i.e. think of souls holding hands with one another. This can be intuitively sensed, usually unspoken, by all parties. This is not science, but it is humanly felt and understood from time to time throughout life. - mh

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Continuing:

Dualism is closely associated with the thought of René Descartes (1641), whichholds that the mind is a nonphysical—and therefore, non-spatial [not relating to, occupying, or having the character of space] —substance. 

Descartes clearly identified the mind with consciousness and self-awareness and distinguished this from the brain as the seat of intelligence. 

Hence, he was the first to formulate the mind–body problem in the form in which it exists today.  . . .

('René Descartes's illustration of dualism [shows] inputs are passed on by the sensory organs to the epiphysis [the pineal gland] in the brain and from there to the immaterial spirit.) [Illustration not included.']

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         I, Ms Havisham, bold printed and edited the immediate material above for clarity. Consciousness and self-awareness are directly associated to the spiritual aspects of the mind. - mh

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         The material below demonstrates a sense of how such mind/body 'mental states' occur. I include it to help with clarity and understanding because these aspects within reasoning are a part of underlying human reasoning. - mh

         [Note. Including the 'Types' below are aspects of the Mind/Body problem Ms Havisham felt necessary to cover. Consciousness also includes the unconscious mind for without it the mind would not be fully human. - Amorella]

Types

Ontological dualism makes dual commitments about the nature of existence as it relates to mind and matter, and can be divided into three different types:

1. Substance dualism asserts that mind and matter are fundamentally distinct kinds of foundations. 

2. Property dualism suggests that the ontological distinction lies in the differences between properties of mind and matter (as in emergentism). 

3. Predicate dualism claims the irreducibility of mental predicates to physical predicates. 

 

Substance or Cartesian dualism

Substance dualism is a type of dualism most famously defended by René Descartes, which states that there are two kinds of foundation: mental and body.

This philosophy states that the mental can exist outside of the body, and the body cannot think. 

Substance dualism is important historically for having given rise to much thought regarding the famous mind–body problem.

Substance dualism is a philosophical position compatible with most theologies which claim that immortal souls occupy an independent realm of existence distinct from that of the physical world.

Property dualism

Property dualism asserts that an ontological distinction lies in the differences between properties of mind and matter, and that consciousness is ontologically irreducible to neurobiology and physics. 

It asserts that when matter is organized in the appropriate way (i.e., in the way that living human bodies are organized), mental properties emerge. 

Hence, it is a sub-branch of emergent materialism. What views properly fall under the property dualism rubric is itself a matter of dispute. 

Non-reductive physicalism is a form of property dualism in which it is asserted that all mental states are causally reducible to physical states. 

One argument for this has been made in the form of anomalous monism expressed by Donald Davidson, where it is argued that mental events are identical to physical events, 

and there can be strict law-governed causal relationships. 

Another argument for this has been expressed by John Searle, who is the advocate of a distinctive form of physicalism he calls biological naturalism. 

His view is that although mental states are ontologically irreducible to physical states, they are causally reducible (see causality). 

He has acknowledged that "to many people" his views and those of property dualists look a lot alike. But he thinks the comparison is misleading.

Epiphenomenalism

Epiphenomenalism is a form of property dualism, in which it is asserted that one or more mental states do not have any influence on physical states (both ontologically and causally irreducible). 

It asserts that while material causes give rise to sensations, volitions, ideas, etc., such mental phenomena themselves cause nothing further: they are causal dead-ends. 

This can be contrasted to interactionism, on the other hand, in which mental causes can produce material effects, and vice versa. 

. . .

Occasionalism

Occasionalism is a philosophical doctrine about causation which says that created substances cannot be efficient causes of events.

Instead, all events are taken to be caused directly by God itself.

The theory states that the illusion of efficient causation between mundane events arises out of a constant conjunction that God had instituted, such that every instance where the cause is present will constitute 

an "occasion" for the effect to occur as an expression of the aforementioned power. 

This "occasioning" relation, however, falls short of efficient causation.

In this view, it is not the case that the first event causes God to cause the second event: 

rather, God first caused one and then caused the other, 

but chose to regulate such behaviour in accordance with general laws of nature. 

Some of its most prominent historical exponents have been Louis de la Forge, Arnold Geulincx, and Nicholas Malebranche.

Kantianism

According to Immanuel Kant's philosophy, there is a distinction between actions done by desire and the ones performed by liberty (categorical imperative). 

Thus, not all physical actions are caused by either matter or freedom. 

Some actions are purely animal in nature, while others are the result of mental action on matter.

Selected and edited and selectively parted for my easier reading and comprehension - from Wikipedia - rho

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       Concluding this Wikipedia article on the MInd/Body Problem with Ms Havisham leaves one more selection on the modern soul for Ms Havisham: consciousness within the spiritual aspects of the mind. - Amorella

       1712 hours. I find this blog quite fascinating to think on and wonder about in terms of plausibility within the real physical world and universe where living humanity finds itself every night and day. I share this for others to read and consider within their own private life. For me these two blogs (mind and spirit) are not about truth, but they are projections for a better personal understanding of what the modern human spirit, the heartansoulanmind, is. - rho

       Post. - Amorella

      Evening. Introduction to Consciousness. Let's drop in a dictionary definition first. - Amorella

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# One

consciousness - noun - the state of being awake and aware of one's surroundings: she failed to regain consciousness and died two days later. 

• the awareness or perception of something by a person: her acute consciousness of Mike's presence. 

• the fact of awareness by the mind of itself and the world: consciousness emerges from the operations of the brain.

Selected and edited from - the Oxford/American Apple software

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       2117 hours. One can see right away that there is a problem with this definition where it is written: "consciousness emerges from the operations of the brain." Note 173 shows another point of view on consciousness. - rho

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Dualism is closely associated with the thought of René Descartes (1641), which holds that the mind is a nonphysical—and therefore, non-spatial [not relating to, occupying, or having the character of space] — substance.

Descartes clearly identified the mind with consciousness and self-awareness and distinguished this from the brain as the seat of intelligence. 

(From Wikipedia - Mind-Body Dualism)

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       Let's see what holds in two other dictionary definitions: the Merriam-Webster and the Cambridge. - Amorella

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# Two

consciousness- noun

1a: the quality or state of being aware especially of something within oneself

  b: the state or fact of being conscious of an external object, state, or fact

  c: AWARENESS especially: concern for some social or political cause; the organization aims to raise the political consciousness of teenagers. 

2: the state of being characterized by sensation, emotion, volition, and thought: MIND

3: the totality of conscious states of an individual

4: the normal state of conscious life regained consciousness

5: the upper level of mental life of which the person is aware as contrasted with unconscious processes

Selected and edited from - https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conscious

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and

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# Three

consciousness- noun 

1. the state of being awake, aware of what is around you, and able to think: 

He lost consciousness on the way to the hospital, and regained consciousness the next day.

2. the fact of noticing the existence of something: 

There’s definitely a consciousness of the employment market among the students.

3. the state of understanding and realizing something: 

[ + that ] Her consciousness that she's different makes her feel uneasy.

Working in an unemployment office had helped to raise his political consciousness.

4. the state of being awake, thinking, and knowing what is happening around you: 

He lost consciousness after his accident and never recovered/regained it.

And, another mentioned example:

5. altered consciousness - In this altered consciousness, the scale of spaces and things appears relational rather than axiomatic, and the psyche and the social become integrated.

                                                      From Cambridge English Corpus 

Selected and edited from- https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/

consciousness

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       2221 hours. The Merriam-Webster actually mentions 'MIND', in all caps no less. The Cambridge makes no mention of 'mind' directly. Now, one more example in this context. This time from Wikipedia.

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Consciousness

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about cognition

Consciousness is the state or quality of awareness or of being aware of an external object or something within oneself. It has been defined variously in terms of sentience, awareness, qualia, subjectivity, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood or soul, the fact that there is something "that it is like" to "have" or "be" it, and the executive control system of the mind. 

Despite the difficulty in definition, many philosophers believe that there is a broadly shared underlying intuition about what consciousness is. 

As Max Velmans and Susan Schneider wrote in The Blackwell Companion to Consciousness: "Anything that we are aware of at a given moment forms part of our consciousness, making conscious experience at once the most familiar and most mysterious aspect of our lives." You become aware that your actions have an effect on other people.

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       Consciousness and Ms Havisham are continued tomorrow. Post. - Amorella

       I do not feel the need for these various definitions of consciousness. Consciousness cements Self to Purpose and Will. - mh