Comments on: The Extended Mind http://www.libertypages.com/cgw/2009/02/16/the-extended-mind/ Musings on Science, Religion and Philosophy Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:57:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Rich Knapton http://www.libertypages.com/cgw/2009/02/16/the-extended-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-2319 Rich Knapton Wed, 18 Feb 2009 01:43:38 +0000 http://www.libertypages.com/cgw/?p=1686#comment-2319 It seems to me that Memento was about the loss of memory. The internet also seems about the extension of memory. The questions seems to be how memory relates to mind and brain. I can study the brain, I can study memory. How do I study mind? On top of all else, we throw in consciousness. And what about mental content? I think some defining needs to be done. Rich It seems to me that Memento was about the loss of memory. The internet also seems about the extension of memory. The questions seems to be how memory relates to mind and brain. I can study the brain, I can study memory. How do I study mind? On top of all else, we throw in consciousness. And what about mental content? I think some defining needs to be done.

Rich

]]> By: Clark http://www.libertypages.com/cgw/2009/02/16/the-extended-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-2317 Clark Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:49:38 +0000 http://www.libertypages.com/cgw/?p=1686#comment-2317 Yeah, as I said though it's one of those questions that seems really profound at first until you realize it's ultimately just a question about how we talk about "mind." That is can the set of normative mental descriptions be seen as referring only to the brain. I'm pretty convinced they can't. But I don't think that's terribly profound. I just think it means our mental descriptions (sentences about the mental) often involve relational aspects. To ignore the descriptions about relations is fundamentally to misinterpret the sentence. Perhaps one can separate the meaning of such sentences into the part that is about the brain and the part that's not. I'm more than a little skeptical, but I'm open to that being done in a non-ambiguous fashion. But even if one does this all one really has done is to create a new language that limits discussion to a certain class of descriptions. It's not like one has done anything particularly significant. Yeah, as I said though it’s one of those questions that seems really profound at first until you realize it’s ultimately just a question about how we talk about “mind.” That is can the set of normative mental descriptions be seen as referring only to the brain. I’m pretty convinced they can’t. But I don’t think that’s terribly profound. I just think it means our mental descriptions (sentences about the mental) often involve relational aspects. To ignore the descriptions about relations is fundamentally to misinterpret the sentence.

Perhaps one can separate the meaning of such sentences into the part that is about the brain and the part that’s not. I’m more than a little skeptical, but I’m open to that being done in a non-ambiguous fashion. But even if one does this all one really has done is to create a new language that limits discussion to a certain class of descriptions. It’s not like one has done anything particularly significant.

]]> By: larryco_ http://www.libertypages.com/cgw/2009/02/16/the-extended-mind/comment-page-1/#comment-2314 larryco_ Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:57:01 +0000 http://www.libertypages.com/cgw/?p=1686#comment-2314 Interesting that you bring this up. There is a new weekly series showing Sundays on KUEN in SLC (an educational channel, but not PBS) called Closer To Truth. Two weeks ago they discussed consciousness under the title "Can the mind be equated with the brain?" and this week continued with the idea of whether the soul can be equated with the brain, bringing religious philosophers into the discussion. It's all very thought-provoking...I think. I mean, I THINK I think...I mean, I think, therefore I am...aren't I? Interesting that you bring this up. There is a new weekly series showing Sundays on KUEN in SLC (an educational channel, but not PBS) called Closer To Truth. Two weeks ago they discussed consciousness under the title “Can the mind be equated with the brain?” and this week continued with the idea of whether the soul can be equated with the brain, bringing religious philosophers into the discussion. It’s all very thought-provoking…I think. I mean, I THINK I think…I mean, I think, therefore I am…aren’t I?

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