Philosophical maundering aside, I propose (again) a practical test to determine if minds are material in nature, and if said minds are the result of brain function.
Firstly, we know, beyond all rational doubt, that we can electronically detect even minimal brain activity. Secondly, we know, again beyond all rational doubt, that every verifiable mind the human species has ever encountered was a possessed by a being with a functioning brain. It seems reasonable, then, that if we could destroy all functions of the brain, we should be unable to detect any activity or 'mind'. So:
Take a human brain (if you haven't got a spare lying around, there are places you can acquire one). Mince the brain. Shove the bits through a sieve. Dry the resulting sludge and grind it into a fine powder. Douse the powder with petrol and set it on fire. When it has cooled sufficiently, perform every electroencelographic test you think of. If you can detect unmistakable brain activity, I'll listen to what you have to say about dualism.
Boru
Firstly, we know, beyond all rational doubt, that we can electronically detect even minimal brain activity. Secondly, we know, again beyond all rational doubt, that every verifiable mind the human species has ever encountered was a possessed by a being with a functioning brain. It seems reasonable, then, that if we could destroy all functions of the brain, we should be unable to detect any activity or 'mind'. So:
Take a human brain (if you haven't got a spare lying around, there are places you can acquire one). Mince the brain. Shove the bits through a sieve. Dry the resulting sludge and grind it into a fine powder. Douse the powder with petrol and set it on fire. When it has cooled sufficiently, perform every electroencelographic test you think of. If you can detect unmistakable brain activity, I'll listen to what you have to say about dualism.
Boru
‘I can’t be having with this.’ - Esmeralda Weatherwax