C1.POSSIBL.THEO
File C1.possibl.theo 8:05 am Oct 31, 1994 8:35 am June 28, 1992 / 10:58 am Mar 30, 1992 8:32 am Jan 23, 1992 / 8:37 am Nov 4, 1991 9:43 am Feb 21, 1990 /3:06 pm Oct 25, 1988
POSSIBLE THEORIES OF THE MIND
Purpose of this chapter Set up the problem Ask the questions
topics to be covered: What is the mind? What is a theory of the mind? What should this theory explain? What should this theory predict? How many theories are there ? Which is best? Why must the theory be scientific? What is a scientific theory?
To have a theory that explains or predicts things about the mind we need to know what the mind is. The mind is consciousness, an information processor and a controller of our bodies. What is a theory of the mind. A theory of the mind will predict and explain the behavior of the mind. What specific questions will a theory address? What is the mind? How does it relate to the brain? Why is it important to us? Why is it important to the individual person? Does it have properties unique to itself? Is the mind connected to a soul? What is a soul? What are the advantages of having a soul? Is the mind different from matter or a property that matter and energy produces? Does the mind die when the brain dies? Is the mind unique? Is the mind tied to only one body? When that one body dies is that the final end to the mind? Is each mind unique? Does ever person have a mind? How does a mind relate to religion and to the concept of a god? Is the mind a part of a greater whole? What are some properties of the mind? Can different minds be classified and sorted out? What are some types or classifications of the minds? What makes minds different from each other? Are humans the only thing that can have a mind? Can there be different and higher levels of the mind or consciousness? What theories of the mind should we reject? Why should we reject certain theories of the mind? Why is a theory of the mind important to religions? Should religious dogmas effect theories of the mind, and have they? What is consciousness? What is the difference between the mind and consciousness?
What is a scientific theory? A scientific theory must be open minded towards new ways of looking at things and it must be skeptical and critical of its ideas. To be open minded it must consider any theory that is purposed. When it rejects a theory it must state clearly why it rejects a theory. It must show why that the theory is not as good as another or why the theory does not explain or predict the information that is available. A scientific theory must have the ability to predict and explain into the future. One of the problems that science has is that it does not have unlimited resources and man power to properly analyze every theory. What is a non scientific theory? A non scientific theory is one that can not be proved or disproved. It also uses a clearly defined logic syntax and axioms that can be modified or challenged if necessary. What does it mean to prove or disprove a theory? A scientific theory will need to be based on our current scientific understanding or some modified version of it. The reason that this is important is to have a coherent system of explanation. How many coherent scientific theories about the mind can exist? How many non scientific theories about the mind can exist? How about partial theories about the mind can exist? What is a partial theory? A partial theory is one that explains part of the problem or some of the problems, but not the whole problem or all of the problems involved in the theory.
How many possible theories of the mind and awareness are there? With all the slight variances there are an infinite amount of theories. What should a theory of the mind cover? It should be predictive and should be explanative. It needs to explain what it is and how it works. It needs to show where new experiments need and can be done. It needs to be able to make predictions about the behavior of the mind and the body. It needs to explain the areas that the theory does not cover and why it does not cover it.
Which one would be best? Again the best theory would depend on the goal for which that theory was applied. One theory can be mapped into many different aspects of that theory. Each different version of the theory excelling at a different aspect of that theory. Lets make an outline of some of the possible theories.
materialist physicalist Neutral monism Dualism Bundle Dualism epiphenomenalism Interactionist Mentalist
aspects numerical
A. materialist (single aspect) The mind and the brain are the same. Functionalism is the view that the brain and body produces the mind through it complex functioning or changing. certain changes will produce the mind and others will not. death will not produce the mind. The mind is not the brain and thus solves the duelist objection about materialism. But the mind does not exist independent of the brain or a structure that can do what the brain does.
Functional materialist: the mind and the brain are not the same but the brain produces the mind through its functioning. The brain that has no change or is not changing has no mind or produces no consciousness. We might say that the mind is the functioning aspect of the brain. No non changing state of the brain corresponds to any mind or mind state. The analogy is with a point on a plane and a section line on the same plane. no matter how short the section of line on the plane it will contain an infinite amount of points. A section of consciousness will contain an infinite amount of different brain states.
B. duelist (double aspect) The mind and the brain are different but in some way relate to each other.There are many different ways that they can relate one way two ways. There have been many proposals on how they can relate. For instance, the brain has been called nothing but a device for receiving messages from the mind and then transferring them to the body. This belief is based on the assumption that the aspects of the mind such as emotions feelings can not be produced from a material body. Science does not support this view because it does not have experimental proof of a mind separate from the body.
C. trist (triple aspect) The triple aspect is the belief that there are more than two things that are needed for the mind to exist they are the brain the mind like the duelist view, and one more thing and this can be god or some other third entity.
D. finite/multiple The finite multiple aspect theories of the mind purpose more than three aspects to the mind body relationship. They can be the body in different worlds, more than one mind controlling the bodies things that control the communication between the bodies and the brains. Then there is conglomerates relation to one or more gods that effect the whole package.
E. animist (infinite aspect) The mind is a part of an infinite mind that is either god or nature. There are many versions of this.
Limitations of the aspects
limitations to the aspects deals with
A. materialist limitation
B. soul limitations
C. mind limitations
D. brain limitations
Time limits
There have been various limits put on consciousness. The brain and body disintegrate after death. Few people or philosophers disagree on this. This has lead materialists to the conclusion that the mind disintegrates upon death also.
A. life time This belief or theory is one where the mind has a time limit of the life time.
B. finite but longer than a life time The mind is limited but is a longer period than the life time of the original body.
C. infinite with a beginning The mind has a beginning usually some where around birth but does not end at death of the body in fact it continues for ever.
D. infinite with end but no beginning This is a different version where there is no beginning to the mind but the is an end. possible because there is an end to everything including all minds. Of course there are many other reasons that the mind might have an end for instance, if a god exists he for what ever reason ends it.
E. infinite no beginning or end Here the mind is eternal it has always existed and always will.
F. Finite intermittent In this scenario the minds existence is intermittent at some periods of time it exists and at others it does not. they are two types of this kind the intermittent infinite and the intermittent finite. One means that the mind exists intermittently for an infinite amount of time and the other is where the mind exists intermittently for only a finite amount of time.
G. infinite intermittent In this scenario the mind exists intermittently for an infinite amount of time. for this to happen there has to be an infinite amount of time.
THE SOUL THEORY OF PERSONAL IDENTITY
Most religious theories of personal identity center around the idea of a soul. Usually, in these views the soul determines the identity of a person.
Positional
Where does the mind reside?
A. Singular
The mind resides in a singular place
B. duel
The mind resides in two different places
C. multi
The mind can reside in many places or does reside in many places at once.
D. intermittent
The mind can exist intermittently at different places
E. variable
The mind can be reside in one to many places and can vary over time.
F. multi intermittent variable
G.
TEMPORAL
When does the mind reside?
Does the mind reside in the same time as the body that it affects or inhabits? This means that does the mind really exist in the time that the body or does it some how exist in a different time and communicates to the brain in some way through time and space.
TYPES OF AWARENESS
A. Singular
That awareness is a singular thing not in parts
B. shared Awareness is shared by more than one mind and this in a sense make another mind That awareness is shared in some way between different conscious beings.
C. universal
Consciousness is universal every thing has it and it can be or is shared. In this scenario everything can ad to the awareness even a rock might.
D. all types In this scenario all types can exist some exist that are singular some are shared and then there are some that have universal awareness
consciousness can be of all types that can be thought of
E. bundle theory
Our awareness is a bundle of perceptions, not a coherent whole. This theory is the one that David Hume believed in
LEVELS OF AWARENESS
A. Only one human There is only thing that is aware and that is man and that is the only thing that can be aware.
B. Human and God. Only humans and god can be aware or consciousness other forms of life are not and can not be. There are two thing that are aware and they are man and god.
C. Animals, human and god. There are three things that are aware and they are animals, man, and god.
D. Plants to god. This belief is that every thing has awareness from plants to god.
E. Everything has awareness. Every thing has awareness from rocks to god it is like an animinist view. There are two ways of viewing this and they are that every thing is tied together into an awareness and the other view is that each awareness is independent of the other and is not connected in some way.
F. Increasing
There are different levels of awareness that go through different animals to humans and possible beyond.
G. All levels increasing
H. Other life form exists or could exist and have awareness
I. Machine consciousness
Devices that we make have or can have awareness.
LEVEL OF INTELLIGENCE
A. Only one human
There is only one level of intelligence and that is the human level.
B. Human and god
There are two levels of intelligence and they are the human level and the ultimate level or that of god. The level can vary with the belief in the powers that God has.
C. Animals, human and god Animals Humans and god have intelligence.
D. Plants to god All life from plants to god have intelligence.
E. Everything has intelligence
F. Increasing
G. All levels increasing
H. Machine machine can and or do have intelligence
TYPES OF UNCONSCIOUS
A. NONE This is the belief that there is no unconsciousness. This belief can be a scientific belief or based on religion.
B. singular
We do have a subconscious or unconscious aspect to ourselves
C. variable
D. multi
E. multi variable
F. effective
G. multi variable effective
THE MYSTICAL ASPECT OF THE MIND
This is a region that does not try to explain the brain it lives with the mind and accepts that the mind is not comprehensible or not completely comprehensible. Many mystical experiences are not logical or even explainable in term that can be understood by others and not even by the person that is having these experiences. How do we explain the voices that people hear when in fact none are being produced out side of the body? This can be explained with science and the identity theory. The brain can produce all sorts of different kinds of consciousness that do not correspond to reality so any possible consciousness is producible if the brain so functions in that way. There are many others categories that we could include but these are enough to categorize many of the different major theories.
EXPLANATION OF THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES
IDENTITY THEORY CATEGORIZED
What are the different categories that the identity theory of consciousness holds to? The numerical aspect is that of the materialist. The limitations are of materialism down to the sub atomic level. The time limit is infinite intermittent The positional aspect of the mind is multi-intermittent variable the types of awareness are all possible types The levels of awareness are all levels increasing The levels of intelligence are all levels increasing The types of unconscious are multi variable effective
THE SOUL THEORY OF PERSONAL IDENTITY
Most religious theories of personal identity center around the idea of a soul. Usually, in these views the soul determines the identity of a person. The concept of a soul is not well defined. The soul is a non materialist entity that is connected to the body most of the time when that body is alive but leaves it when the body dies. What kind of knowledge that soul takes with it is not defined and most religions would frown on making a theory about the soul with the belief that such matters are beyond mans understanding or concern. A scientific analysis of the topic would not be regarded highly by religions unless that analysis tended to support the particular religion.
What are some possible theories of the mind? Lets use an epistemological analysis. A theory must be both predictive and explaintive. Some might say that it has to fit certain philosophical, religious,or scientific precepts.
[p]m
//
[m]
\\
[e]m
In this equation the theory [m] is broken into two parts the explanation and the prediction. The predictive part predicts how the mind interrelates to the world. It predicts how the mind interacts with different objects and how it is modified with these changes. The explanitive part explains how the mind works and how it is produced. What is it about the mind that we want explained and what do we want to predict about its behavior. Since this is a short book we can not explain or predict everything about the mind. What we can predict and explain is the overall nature of the mind and the things that might be particularly interesting and important to man. What questions do we want explained?
What is the purpose of the brain in respect to the mind? The mind is produced by the functioning of the brain. What characteristics does the mind have? It is limited by the characteristics of the brain but has characteristics that are different than the brain. What limits does it have? The mind is limited as far as we know by the laws of matter and energy. What can we expect from the mind. The same that can be expected by matter and energy. Is the mind a persons soul?
Basically yes?
What does life have to do with the mind? With out the mind no awareness of the life would be possible and no higher forms of life would be possible
[mi]= what?
There are many possible first divisions of a theory. The simplest or most useful is the best.
[mi] = [m = bf + c]
Translated means: mind equals brain functioning plus the consequences.
another [mi]= [m = bf + c] =[m = bf] + [c]
Of course what is inside is the bracket are themselves theories.
Now the concepts [m=bf] and [c] can be analyzed separately. The parts of this concept can be put together like the parts of a computer program and processed. It is also like bonding elements together to form more complex molecules. The end result does not have to resemble the original elements. they will share some properties like being matter.
How then can we analyze [m=bf] .[[m] = [bf]] = [m=bf]
We have two mathematical laws for mathematical epistemology
where c1 and c2 are concepts 1. [[c1] = [c2]] then [c1=c2] and conversely
[c1=c2] then [[c1] = [c2]]
2. [c1+c2] = [c1] + [c2] and the converse
[c1] + [c2] = [c1+c2]
We could also include another law the inverse of the combiner law #2.
3. [c1-c2] =[c1]-[c2]
symmetry also holds if [c1] =[c2] then [c2] =[c1]
[c1] +[c2 c2] +[c1]
[c1] - [c2] = [c2]-[c1]
There are relational operators that do not hold these same syntax.
These laws are not laws of knowledge they are analytical laws that deal with how the language of mathematical epistemology works.
The = sign is an equivalency operator =n where n = 2. Where n=3 we have a three line equivalence.
The mind truly transcends the body but it does it because of materialism and not in spite of it. Because of the materialist view we have a starting place to work from with the Dualist position we invent a thing called the mind and the soul to give us immortality when in reality we have both mortality and immortality and many conditions in between. The identity theory of consciousness is a simple yet also the most complex theory of the mind that has ever been constructed. I think that we are only what we are, but what we are is very complex and the possibilities for man and other life forms are mind boggling especially if we have no mind (substance). If there is a mind substance like certain dualist believe then we have not found it. If we had, scientists would be studying it like mad -- like they do the brain. Scientists for curiosity reasons, or to make a name for themselves will study anything that can be studied. And if we found a mind substance we would certainly study it. Scientists are not in a conspiracy to cover up information in fact they are to uncover information and then critically examine it. Psychology is the study of the mind. But it is not the study (at least yet) of a mind substance. To wait for the discovery of a mind substance before studying the mind is a waste of time we need to develop Theories about what we have i.e., the materialist brain and what it produces. The behaviorist view is to restricted and limited in scope. In the same way the Dualist view is also too limited. Both have important ideas that should be considered in understanding the brain - mind relationship. The Identity theory of consciousness does not deny the existence of the mind. In fact it has a very real meaning apart form the brain itself but to understand the mind we must understand the brain Do numbers exist? Yes. Do they exist like a rock? No? Does the mind exist? Yes? Does it exist like a rock? No. Or at least we have no proof of it existing like a rock.
Many theories of the mind are passive. The identity theory is an active theory of the mind. To some this active theory and belief structure is because it expects that we do something with our consciousness. It give us an opportunity to do something with our consciousness. Many theories assumes that we are stuck with what we have and must make due, no matter what the outcome and suffering. There is more to suffering than pain in the mind. One form of mental suffering that is not pain is the mental struggle that goes on in the mind, it causes depression and depression causes the struggle. We are an active part of the development of the mind and we should develop the mind. It is our mind. We can eliminate the negative aspects of it we can solve the problems with it. Within this mind must be understanding of the different aspects of the mind, the confusion the submission the pains caused by not achieving what the body wants and what the consciousness thinks should be. This struggle is what pushes people into religion. It soothes the pain. People feel guilty and the christian religion deals with this guilt. One reason that people might feel guilty is that it is an adaptation to leaving in a cold environment. In a cold environment when the weather is nice we have to work hard to save enough food to carry us over the winter. We never know if that will be enough so the ones that feel guilty are the ones that might work harder to save more. If the food runs out then the children suffer as well as the adults so there is added guilt. The parent can neither starve to death for their children will certainly die later. And if the children are not feed so that the parents can have food the children die. In the summer when it is nice it would be the tendency to take it easy and do little but how do the genes pass on the tendency to work hard and produce food for. The winter depression when one is not busy might be a genetic way to force work. People get cabin fervor or a depression to go out and do something. I personally have desires to get things done its almost an obsession. Then I have the feeling in the spring to grow things In the fall I have the desire to build shelters. In the winter I feel depressed for it is a genetic thing to get out and work to produce the things that will supply my needs and my families needs. When a great deal of work gets done in the winter I feel less depressed. I also feel depressed if I do not feel that I am getting the right things done. There is always the questioning feeling "Am I doing the right thing and in the right order?". This could be a very important personality trait to survival in cold climates. Other personalities may have developed in other areas of the world. A group of people would have to live in an area long enough to develop these traits. This may be one of the reasons that we are attracted to some areas and not to others. For instance, streams, streams supply water for drinking and cleaning. It was an advantage to like streams. The people that didn’t like them may have had problems that kept them from reproducing as well. such as dying of thirst when rains were scarce. Many personality traits may be directly due to evolutionary advantage, like the tender caring response that many people have to babies and small children. How are these personalities traits passed on through our genes and then how are they produced by the brain. A passive theory believes that we are what we are and must solve the problems with in the mind. This causes many problems because we get paradoxes that can not be solved. The mind can over come some of the problems that it encounters but, it can not over come all the problems that it has. The mind can see a problem and it can develop a solution to it but if the abilities of the at brain to produce this end result is not achievable from the changes that the mind can do, the mind can become in turmoil For instance, it is often said that if a person really wanted to change his personality he can. In certain cases he can but in others there are structures in the brain that the mind can not change. The brain has certain connections that the mind can not disconnect and those neurons will continue to fire in spite of what the brain does. It is true that the mind can organize the brain to produce certain consciousnesses by causing certain neurons to fire and not others. The brain can reroute the impulses to eliminate some of the non desirable consciousness that is produces. An example of this is when we try not to remember certain bad memories. We also try to produce the desired behavior that we wish. We consciously train the brain to produce that behavior. For a teenage it might be; to be cool, with it, hip, etc. This kind of behavior gives people power or perceived power attractiveness etc. But the things that the mind is trying to get the brain to do some times is impossible for some it is easier for the brain is Another difference between the identity theory and a rational duelist theory of the mind is that a duelist mind substance is some thing that holds together on its own and can pass through time as this type of substance with out the body. The identity theory on the other hand does not accept this type of dualism. it is a self perpetuating materialism the substance is perpetuated through time with some properties that keep it as one with out outside intervention except in the case of god. The ability for this mind substance to stay together is a property of that mind substance. The identity theory on the other hand does not see that there is some property of the mind that keeps it together. If anything it is the activity of other minds that keep it together. Without the other minds there would be no continuation of this mind. We are the random coming together of matter to form the mind. We may be the cause of the random matter coming together to form a higher mind. The duelist mind substance might be able to hold memories but it may only have the ability to produce consciousness but carries no memories with it. The soul in some theories is the thing that gives the body the ability to have consciousness so it does not have memories or any other thing that we think would tie it to a previous life the evidence would go to prove this because if I have a soul that some other person has had before me I have no memories of that person and his life. But some people have experiences that they have had another life. but with these people and there pervious lives it is limited it is not like the memories of this life so there at best is much loss. The theory goes on to state that all those memories are in us but that we need to use certain methods of concentration to get to them. The problem with this is that these methods of concentration my just be teaching the brain to think that the memories are real and existed before. If we concentrate long enough on some thing we can if we wish believe that these thoughts came from all sorts of different things the brain and it mystical producing experiences has a tendency to convince people that there are other things that are going in reality than we think. I think that in experiencing these things we are in fact experiencing what another mind could experience in another reality. The brain can produce experiences that are the experiences that another mind in another reality would produce This is the concept of sharing of minds. if fact not sharing has to happen in these situations we only need the brain to produce the other reality. It is strange to think that our brain is so perfect and producing a reality in this world that it could never produce another reality. In fact, there may be many realities that this world can produce and has not do to the rivers of evolution have never gotten to these places. What does this mean? If our evolution would have been different we may be seeing the world differently. In fact, the other animals my already do that. One example of that is the water mammals. They may produce or will produce a different reality and different religions and different sciences etc. There are probably many more. The reason that we have the consciousness that we do has to do wish the mutations that we have gotten and the ability of those mutations to reproduce from one generation to the next. The identity theory pushes into activeness when it comes to our consciousness it allows for activeness in our understanding of the consciousness. It believes that we can understand the understanding that we are and the consciousness that we are not. Many views does not allow for this it does not encourage this and the way the theory is there is now way that it is even possible to deal with so why try. there will always be those that believe this but there hopefully will always be those that think they can have an effect. If the ones that believe that we can do this have there way they will produce other mentapaths that also believe this It is sort of like the evolution of certain mentapaths over other mentapath If the active mentapath do not produce active mentapath then the passiveness will win out? Not necessarily because we reproduce and in each generation we have those active one that will try and believes that they can. The passives may revolt but unless they can gain the knowledge to stifle the actives there will always be the actives. the way the passive can control the actives are by way of killing them or through the treat of punishment. this has happened to scientists from religions in fact it happens any time one set of ideas set out to dominate the other ideas by repression. Every time some one understands some ones else's ideas his brain changes a little. These new ideas can either cause him to be more open minded or less so. And there are different types of open mindedness. The most valuable is that of critical open mindedness. This is the type where the ideas are considered but new knowledge is wanted about these ideas and they are critically reviewed in light of other accepted ideas. A religion is just a philosophy gone bad. The propensity to religious belief my be an evolutionary development. This many have developed because of mans desire to fit in. Why would man need to fit in? If he does not fit in he becomes an out cast and then must face the problem of surviving alone. It is hard to reproduce alone and there are many other disadvantages to being an out cast If the group is totally intolerant then they may kill you or your family or other wise destroy your ability to reproduce. It is easier to do as others do than to rock the boat so to speak, and think about what we do. Many people do not have the time or the knowledge or the thinking skills to question the prevalent beliefs of a society. People also have the tendency to pick up on life habits when they are young and to keep those habits through their life this is sort of like imprinting. It seems that people that have physiological problems are more likely to be religious than those that don,t unless they have had bad experiences with religions and then do things against that or other religions and even toward the society that they live. Nationalism is another possible evolutionary development This allows one group to put itself ahead of another. So that the mentality is us against them. This helps getting groups to protect themselves. It also allows the group to kill off the other groups or at least to take their stuff and allows the group to survive. The group will share genes, so that the one group that successfully defeats another group will perpetuates those genes, and the group that does not will not perpetuate those genes. Luckily we are fostering the world community view that allows all people to be part of our group and to be protected by others in the world community. Religions have a tendency to perpetuate the views that are prevalent in the society. The mind is thus a consequence of the genes that evolution has developed for the survival of that species.
Certain groups of genes will be more likely to do well than other groups of genes. When we study genes there are several different controlling factors that determine if a gene is good or bad. There is the environment, there are the laws that govern the behavior of matter and energy,