Author Topic: How your brain invents morality  (Read 217 times)

Nearly Sane

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How your brain invents morality
« on: June 05, 2024, 02:13:38 PM »
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

Enki

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Re: How your brain invents morality
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2024, 04:45:16 PM »
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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Nearly Sane

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Re: How your brain invents morality
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2024, 05:14:17 PM »
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.