Comments on: Patricia Churchland on Neurophilosophy https://habitablezone.com/2011/10/05/patricia-churchland-on-neurophilosophy/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:03:37 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: TB https://habitablezone.com/2011/10/05/patricia-churchland-on-neurophilosophy/#comment-6897 TB Sun, 09 Oct 2011 00:27:50 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=4244#comment-6897 Arthur Clarke knew that at some point, the roads of "magic" and "technology" eventually meet. I'm looking right now at a photo of a 5 MB hard drive assembly from 1956. The IBM350. It is being hoisted by a forklift. Sitting next to my computer is a piece of plastic the size of a fingernail. It is barely visible held edge on. It can hold as much data as 1,600 of those forklift-sized drive units. My brain knows this is just technology, but another part of me says it's magic. If it's possible for human beings to do this in my own lifetime, what can God, or a billion years of evolution, do? The brain is the ultimate "black box." As you say, that it works and does what it does, is miracle enough. As far as the metaphysics goes, soon enough we'll all find out for ourselves if there's anything else but physics involved. And even then, maybe it's not about metaphysics ("beyond" physics) but just higher physics. Arthur Clarke knew that at some point, the roads of “magic” and “technology” eventually meet. I’m looking right now at a photo of a 5 MB hard drive assembly from 1956. The IBM350. It is being hoisted by a forklift. Sitting next to my computer is a piece of plastic the size of a fingernail. It is barely visible held edge on. It can hold as much data as 1,600 of those forklift-sized drive units. My brain knows this is just technology, but another part of me says it’s magic. If it’s possible for human beings to do this in my own lifetime, what can God, or a billion years of evolution, do?

The brain is the ultimate “black box.” As you say, that it works and does what it does, is miracle enough. As far as the metaphysics goes, soon enough we’ll all find out for ourselves if there’s anything else but physics involved. And even then, maybe it’s not about metaphysics (“beyond” physics) but just higher physics.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2011/10/05/patricia-churchland-on-neurophilosophy/#comment-6896 ER Sun, 09 Oct 2011 00:10:07 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=4244#comment-6896 Well, it may be that the mind is just the brain. Then again, the mind may be just the spirit. Well, what is the difference? The only difference I can see is that we know we have a mind, we experience it, and we know we have a brain, we can dissect it. We really don't know whether or not we have a spirit. What if the "spirit" is just another word for the brain, except instead of spooky supernatural forces, it is made of chemicals and electicity and real things organized in a real fashion, put together by millions of years of evolution. Maybe the spirit is part of the soul. What is the soul? Another spooky entity we can't begin to talk about because we haven't a clue as to what it is? It looks like turtles all the way up. I know my mind love, hates, thinks, wonders, learns, forgets, dreams and feels. That's all that really matters, what the mind does, the soul and the spirit may exist, but they mean as little to us as those bones and membranes and blood vessels and tissues with Latin names in our skulls do. Worrying about this sort of thing is such a colossal waste of time. What we should be worrying about is what our mind is doing, not what its imaginary parts are. We don't need spirits and souls. That the mind can think at all, that that bag of jelly in our skull can perceive and act is all the miracle anybody should ever need. All the rest is just bookkeeping. Well, it may be that the mind is just the brain. Then again, the mind may be just the spirit.

Well, what is the difference? The only difference I can see is that we know we have a mind, we experience it, and we know we have a brain, we can dissect it. We really don’t know whether or not we have a spirit.

What if the “spirit” is just another word for the brain, except instead of spooky supernatural forces, it is made of chemicals and electicity and real things organized in a real fashion, put together by millions of years of evolution.

Maybe the spirit is part of the soul. What is the soul? Another spooky entity we can’t begin to talk about because we haven’t a clue as to what it is? It looks like turtles all the way up.

I know my mind love, hates, thinks, wonders, learns, forgets, dreams and feels. That’s all that really matters, what the mind does, the soul and the spirit may exist, but they mean as little to us as those bones and membranes and blood vessels and tissues with Latin names in our skulls do.

Worrying about this sort of thing is such a colossal waste of time. What we should be worrying about is what our mind is doing, not what its imaginary parts are. We don’t need spirits and souls. That the mind can think at all, that that bag of jelly in our skull can perceive and act is all the miracle anybody should ever need. All the rest is just bookkeeping.

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