How Physicalists Dismiss Consciousness - Medium.com
The hard problem and Anil Seth’s ‘real problem’(Apr 22, 2025)
I’ve been looking at some articles over at Medium.com, lots of interesting dialogue. "Matthew" offered me a chance to revisit a favorite dialogue I’m trying to share.
His closing punchline begs for closer scrutiny:
"The hard problem will require much more first principle positions than neuroscience can provide if its explanation is to be serious. Explaining how within some bundle of cells in your brain is an actual experience is a problem so preposterously difficult and seemingly absurd is seems to beg an entire re-conception of how we even understand what any “stuff” actually is.
And it may be that these principles will always remain philosophical (read metaphysical) in nature, since it seems to be the case that a persistent observational equivalence will remain between various positions as to the nature of consciousness.
But in any discussions on the nature of consciousness, it must be remembered that physicalism remains a speculative philosophical position rather than a conclusion resultant from unequivocal explanation.
How the bundle of “stuff” inside your head produces that expansively experiential thing that you are is a question that remains scientifically elusive. The problem may be ‘real’ for a scientist, but right now, whatever Anil Seth says, the hard problem isn’t going anywhere." ( Matthew )
Physicalism remains speculative? Really? Think about what that implies. Are the formation of our universe and solar system mere philosophical positions? Is geology? Is biological evolution a philosophical position?
We don’t speak of those as if they were open metaphysical questions—yet when it comes to consciousness, suddenly we treat the physical as insufficient. Why?
Think about the framing: I keep reading “the brain” mentioned, as if the rest of the body weren’t an essential, integrated part of the whole.
Brain + Body + interacting with its interior and exterior’s physical reality = Human Mind. That’s what makes you, “you” - you’ll never find the “real you” buried in our brain neurons >> because it’s so much more than them.
Philosophers demand nature explain itself, yet they don’t bother to deeply study and learn to appreciate Evolution and what our natural heritage has to teach us.
Take a moment to reflect on what you actually are—your body, your blood, your cells. You, the person reading this, are the product of half a billion years of uninterrupted iterations—generations upon generations—each building upon what came before.
Furthermore via evolution we appreciate that our body carries interior knowledge and agendas, that your conscious mind is blind to—without learning to appreciate the Physical Reality ~ Human Mind divide.
Earth bound life has relentlessly refined its capacity to observe, to process, to act. This is the story of your ancestry: it’s not just about genetics and neurons. It requires an evolutionary bottom up perspective, true appreciation that we are evolved biological beings, Earthlings, nothing more and nothing less. It took millions of generations to arrive at you.
Our consciousness is not some unfathomable mystery, it’s the interior reflection of your body communicating with itself.
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Life is crowded, besides people and chores, and there are other writing projects. Though I have started my Splendid Journey, Ch#3b, "3307 Bell Avenue" it could be another month before I have it ready for posting.
1 comment:
Dearly Sally, (June 1, 2025) -
Your two childishly rage-filled (and totally off the wall) comments are an insult to your own intelligence. I myself am interested with some serious constructive dialogue - but you offered nothing but a window into yet another sad unhinged human being - I will be trashing your two comments.
Come back when you want to try communicating like a grown up.
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