(July 20, 2009 at 5:23 am)Purple Rabbit Wrote: The claim that is being made (at least by EvF) is that science has shown that there is nothing beyond the physical, in other words that what we call mental states ARE in fact physical states.
I've read the whole post, but I need to cut you off right here PR.
I am not claiming that. I am not claiming that science has positively shown that there is nothing beyond the physical. I am just noting that - at least as far as I know - there is no valid evidence for anything non-physical, right? So why make an exception to the physical and say thought isn't physical?
If by non-physical you by definition mean mental then you get what you want in a single step! All I mean by that I believe thought is physical in the sense that it's part of the physical universe and made of physical matter. I believe this because it's the only alternative to believing it's non physical - I can't not believe either because it's either one or the other and this isn't a 50/50 thing.
Why isn't it a 50/50 thing? Because, as I said: So far - at least as far as I know - everything that there is evidence of is physical so why make an exception for thought without any reason to do so? To make such an exception, without evidence for such an exception, without valid reason - seems utterly bizarre and just special pleading to me.
I am not claiming that science has shown thought is physical. I am just noting that: As far as I know, there is no valid evidence, scientific or otherwise - for anything non-physical (Unless you can enlighten me). So why make an exception and believe thought is somehow non-physical?
Why would it be some sort of bizarre one-off exception in what is as far as we know an entirely physical universe, right? I need evidence for that! Why wouldn't it be made out of physical matter? - that's the sense of physical I'm talking about, not 'untouchable' or anything like that. Physically undetectable is not the same as something that isn't made out of physical matter. Physically undetectable could just be physical matter that we (at least) can't physically detect. How could it not still be made up of matter like the rest of the physical universe?
Why such an odd exception? without any reason?
EvF
P.S: Ok, I'm going out now so I won't be able to respond till later on.
