Free will and determinism

[Gorgias]

reggieM:

We don’t have any evidence that the brain is the cause of the sense of self.

If you cut off a foot, you will still have the sense of self. If you cut off a hand, you will still have the sense of self. Similarly, with the ear, the eye, the nose, a kidney, etc. But if you cut out the brain, the person will not have the sense of self. That is evidence.

Bad example. All of your “cuts”, save the last one, do not kill the person. Only the “cut out the brain” kills the person. That, I’d assert, is what provides the appearance of the effect you’re looking to demonstrate. (And, I’d assert, there would still nevertheless be a “sense of self” – it would just not flow through the body, but would exist solely with the soul.)

 

[STT]

Actually there is a place in brain which generate the sense of self.

 

[Wesrock]

Actually there is a place in brain which generate the sense of self.

Which is associated or correlated with a sense of self.

 

[STT]

Which is associated or correlated with a sense of self.

We accept correlation as a fact when the evidences are overwhelming, such as causality. It seems quite plausible to accept that brain generates the sense of self along with other sort of experiences.

 

[Wesrock]

Wesrock:

Which is associated or correlated with a sense of self.

We accept correlation as a fact when the evidences are overwhelming, such as causality.

It’s related to a sense of self, surely. But I feel I have sufficient reason to reject that the areas of the brain could by themselves generate the self awareness we associate with sapient thinking.

 

[STT]

It’s related to a sense of self, surely. But I feel I have sufficient reason to reject that the areas of the brain could by themselves generate the self awareness we associate with sapient thinking.

Could you please offer your reason?

 

[Wesrock]

I’m not in the mood to debate it or spend an hour writing a post on it. It’ a well known philosophy of the mind issue regarding intentionality. And no, it’s not just a matter of whether a conscious being intended to do an action or not.