Religion and Ethics Forum
Religion and Ethics Discussion => Philosophy, in all its guises. => Topic started by: Nearly Sane on June 05, 2024, 02:13:38 PM
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I'm not entirely sure about the neologism 'neurophilosopher' but there's a lot of interesting stuff in this interview with Patricia Churchland.
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/7/8/20681558/conscience-patricia-churchland-neuroscience-morality-empathy-philosophy
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I found it interesting as well. I also found this about a week ago, which gives some further explanation as to where she's coming from with her ideas.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22029450-200-the-benefits-of-realising-youre-just-a-brain/
Although I have reservations on her ideas about free will to some extent, what I liked about it was her attitude to the whole business of accepting that we are basically our brains, an attitude which I found most refreshing and quite re-assuring. If she is basically correct, and certainly science seems to point in that direction, then Alan's 'soul' idea becomes a non starter.
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I found it interesting as well. I also found this about a week ago, which gives some further explanation as to where she's coming from with her ideas.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22029450-200-the-benefits-of-realising-youre-just-a-brain/
Although I have reservations on her ideas about free will to some extent, what I liked about it was her attitude to the whole business of accepting that we are basically our brains, an attitude which I found most refreshing and quite re-assuring. If she is basically correct, and certainly science seems to point in that direction, then Alan's 'soul' idea becomes a non starter.
I think though that her approach is based on that assumption, and it's not something that can be shown as correct. The soul idea is as far as I can see non demonstrable, and non falsifiable.
I think that doesn't take away from the validity of her approach as being revealing. And I am a little surprised she gets the push back she does. It doesn't seem to me to be scientism.