For a physicalist, thoughts, ideas, concepts (and possibly qualia) would have their neural correlates. So they exist in a physical state of a dynamic neural configuration. Is that right? — Mark Nyquist
non-physical by definition doesn't exist — Mark Nyquist
neurons have the ability to contain the non-physical — Mark Nyquist
go back in the archives of my comments — Mark Nyquist
It is a mistake for a physicalist to excuse the non-physical. The ones that include it will get it right. — Mark Nyquist
The sun is in the sky... physical.
The sun is not in the sky... non-physical.
Physical and non-physical are embedded in our mental realities. — Mark Nyquist
Our brains don't even depend or the subject matter being physical or non-physical. Both are handled with the same physical process and biology. — Mark Nyquist
the non-physical comes in at a secondary level. — Mark Nyquist
It really is that the non-physical drives the physical. — Mark Nyquist
I'm just thinking this through... — Mark Nyquist
In his book "Incomplete Nature: How Mind Emerged from Matter," Deacon argues that there are certain fundamental aspects of life and cognition that cannot be fully explained by the laws of physics and chemistry alone. He contends that there are specific properties and phenomena associated with life and mind, such as purpose, meaning, and consciousness, that cannot be reduced to, or derived from, the physical and chemical properties of the underlying components.
Deacon suggests that nature is "incomplete" in the sense that it contains a fundamental absence or lack of something that needs to be accounted for in our scientific understanding. He argues that there are emergent properties in complex systems that cannot be predicted or explained solely by examining the components at a lower level of organization. Instead, these emergent properties require a different kind of explanation, one that considers the organization and relationships within the system as a whole.
Deacon's ideas on incompleteness challenge reductionist approaches to understanding life and cognition and call for a more holistic and integrative perspective that takes into account the unique features of complex systems. His work has generated considerable discussion and debate in the fields of biology, neuroscience, and philosophy of mind, as it challenges conventional notions of causality and reductionism in science.
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