Reason is a way our thoughts work.................Categorical items are not something that operate themselves.................... It is a rational basis for one's action and judgement......................... And of course you can talk about reason as a property of mind just like in CPR. — Corvus
it sounds like reason is some kind of a biological or living entity itself as a lump of substance. That would be Sci-Fi, not Philosophy...It is a really abstract concept. — Corvus
Kant never said a word about the brain in all his works as far as I am aware...Chomsky's Innatism sounds like a type of SocioBiology subject. I am sure it has nothing to do with Kant's transcendental Idealism. Neither Skinner's Behaviourism. — Corvus
As a CPU within a computer interprets, processes and executes instructions, I suggest that within the brain are also particular types of structures that interpret, process and execute instructions, where a thought is no more than a difference in the physical structure of the brain between two moments in time. — RussellA
The difference between the physical structure which interprets, what you call the logic gate, and the human mind, is that the human mind does not necessarily have to follow the procedure when the input is applied, while the logic gate does. This is the nature of free will. — Metaphysician Undercover
I am assuming that humans do not necessarily follow the results of logic in their actions. This is evident and common, every time one is "overcome by passion" or something similar and does not act according to what was figured to be logically necessary. And, I am pointing out that this type of behaviour, where one acts contrary to one's own logical process, is explained by the concept of free will.You're assuming free will rather than determinism. — RussellA
Why do you think humans have free will rather than being determined by forces beyond their control? — RussellA
As a logic gate is a mechanical entity, reason is a biological entity. — RussellA
Philosophy cannot be carried out in a vacuum, by a philosopher sitting in a dark room shut off from the world with only their thoughts. The philosopher must take the world into account within their philosophising. — RussellA
True, Kant didn't talk about the brain, but then neither did Plato talk about Kant. — RussellA
I find Kant's Critique of Pure Reason relevant and interesting precisely because it can be explained in today's terms. It is not a dead historical subject, but has insights as to contemporary problems of philosophy. — RussellA
This raises the question as to what are thoughts? — RussellA
Speculative philosophy can be done in a dark room full of vacuum for sure — Corvus
And, I am pointing out that this type of behaviour, where one acts contrary to one's own logical process, is explained by the concept of free will. — Metaphysician Undercover
If there are "forces beyond their control" these are forces not understood, because understanding them allows us to make use of them, therefore control them. — Metaphysician Undercover
I see a truck approaching me at speed.
If things were going well in my daily life, the logical thing to do would be to step to one side. — RussellA
This would be an example of Determinism, acting logically. — RussellA
If things were going well in my daily life, even though the logical thing to do would be to step to one side, out of passion, I decide not to step to one side. This would be an example of Free Will, acting illogically. — RussellA
Phenomenology :
1.the science of phenomena as distinct from that of the nature of being.
2. an approach that concentrates on the study of consciousness and the objects of direct experience. — Gnomon
A massively interesting question. Is there anything prohibitive about language being the "opening" to the world, that which makes things "unhidden" (alethea is the Greek term) to us and that defines our radical finitude, that makes the "leap" (Kierkegaard) to a non cognitive and non propositional understanding impossible? — Astrophel
I would argue that some sort of determinism is a prerequisite for free will. We can't choose to bring about some states of affairs and not others based on our preferences unless our actions have determinant effects. We must be able to predict the consequences of our actions, to understand ourselves as determinant cause. — Count Timothy von Icarus
In practice, do people act illogically? How many times do we see people in a city centre, when seeing a truck approaching them at speed, decide not to step out of the way? — RussellA
The fact that gravity is a force beyond the control of humans does not mean that humans don't understand gravity.
The fact that humans understand gravity does not mean that humans can control gravity. — RussellA
You wouldn't call or equate a lump of computer chips and memories as mind, reason or consciousness...Of course the physical existence of the chips and memories are the body where the software defined logic and machine reasoning can be set, and happening. But they are at the software level, not hardware. Software operations are conceptual just like human mind. — Corvus
Speculative philosophy can be done in a dark room full of vacuum for sure, because its tool is the concepts, logic and reasoning. — Corvus
Plato couldn't talk about Kant obviously, as having not been born for almost another 2000 years, Kant wasn't around when Plato was alive......................Yes, I suppose you could look at any contemporary system or thoughts under the light of Kant's TI, and draw good philosophical criticisms or new theories out of them, and that is what all classical philosophy is about. But as I said, it would be a topic of its own. — Corvus
And, I am pointing out that this type of behaviour, where one acts contrary to one's own logical process, is explained by the concept of free will. — Metaphysician Undercover
Yes, in practice people commonly act illogically. — Metaphysician Undercover
Yes, I suppose the brain and mind's closest analogy would be computer processor and software. But again there are too many gaps between them to equate. Human brain and microchip cannot compare in complexity and also capacity. Same goes with the human mind and computer software.The brain can be equated with hardware and the mind can be equated with software — RussellA
It is not to do with existence in time and space, but the complexity and capacity gaps, computers and human mind cannot be equated.As you say that software operations are conceptual, we say that the mind is conceptual, But this does not mean that either the hardware of the computer or brain of the human need to exist outside of time and space in order for the software of the computer or mind of the brain to be expressed. — RussellA
Philosophy can be done in a dark room in vacuum I believe. You go into the room, put on a light, shut the door, take out some of your favorite philosophy books, do some reading, meditating, reasoning, and write what you think about them. To me that is good enough philosophy for a casual reader. If you are a professional philosopher, perhaps you must also prepare the lecture notes.A Philosopher cannot work in a vacuum. A philosopher cannot philosophise if they have no topic to philosophise about, even if that topic is philosophy itself. — RussellA
Kant should be looked at for his philosophy not as a historical figure
True, but as we can compare and contrast Plato and Kant in order to evaluate their respective positions, we can compare and contrast Kant's Transcendental Idealism with contemporary Indirect Realism in order to evaluate their respective similarities and differences.
I think that looking at Kant as a historical figure from the viewpoint of the 18th C may be interesting as a historical exercise, but I don't think it contributes to our philosophical knowledge and understanding. — RussellA
Determinism is not the sort of thing that acts logically any more than Indeterminism...One may logically decide to step out in front of a train. — creativesoul
Human brain and microchip cannot compare in complexity and also capacity. Same goes with the human mind and computer software. — Corvus
Philosophy can be done in a dark room in vacuum I believe. You go into the room, put on a light, shut the door, take out some of your favorite philosophy books, do some reading, meditating, reasoning, and write what you think about them. — Corvus
The most compelling point for Kant's TI are still, whether
1. Metaphysics is possible as a legitimate science or is it just an invalid form of knowledge. — Corvus
2. Whether Thing-in-Itself is a true independent existence on its own separate from human cognition therefore unknowable, or whether it is part of human perception, which is possible to be known even if it may look unknowable at first. — Corvus
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