(July 16, 2009 at 1:59 am)Purple Rabbit Wrote: I'll give a more specific reaction later but as for now I would say this:
If the concept of the number five will prove to coinicide with a certain configuration of (a part of) atoms and electrons in the brain, we still haven't shown that the concept of five IS IDENTICAL TO that configuration. A set of electrons Y may correspond to a mental state X, that does not mean that it IS the mental state X. By stating that all thought is mechanical you neglect to prove this identification. The concept of 'I', though as real as can be, is not identical to a set of electrons in the brain. You're mixing the conceptual level of existence with the physical level.
I am not arguing that free will is impossible. I know that I haven't proved that the concept of the 'I' is just part of what goes on - the electrons etc? - in the physical brain. I'm not trying to prove that. I'm just saying that there's no reason to believe rationally, and logically - because there's no evidence - that there's anything extra to the mechanics. On the matter of concepts - there's no (rational) reason to believe that concepts themelves aren't mechanical, right? There's no evidence (as far as I know anyway?) that everything that exists isn't mechanical...that this isn't a mechanical universe, right?..That just, flows?
I'm just sticking with the least complex hypothesis because I know of no evidence for the non-mechanical. Ultimately anything that we think of as 'not mechanical' is all controlled by mechanics! (as far as I know?). The mechanics of the universe...? The universe just flows mechanically whether it's deterministic or indeterministic, yeah?
Like I said - as far as I know. I'm really curious to see if anyone can (somehow? I dunno what it would look like (or be like)) 'show me otherwise'.
EvF
