Real Talk: Questions for all EB'ers - The mind-body problem

[Mupepe]

1.  How are we to construe relationship between mental and physical?

2.  How are cognition and sensation possible if materialism is correct and only physical substance exists?

3.  How can a brain -- a purely physical organ -- "have" thoughts and sensations which are seemingly mental phenomena?



For reference:

Traditional Dualism
Two distinct substances constitute reality:
  a. physical (temporal being and spatial extension) and
  b. mental (intensive magnitude, temporal being, and no spatial exension)

Cartesian Interactive Dualism
Experience manifests interaction between mental and physical.

However, seeming interaction must be an illusion since it is impossible that mental and physical interact.

[Smooth Groove]

Does this have anything to do with masturbation? 

[MrAngryFace]

Sounds like BULLSHIT! ALL OF IT! AND I USED TO TRY READING BOOKS ON THIS SHIT!

NOW IM WATCHING SHIT LIKE ICE SPIDERS

[Himu]

I don't know, all I know is I could go for some weed right now.

[Mupepe]

Does this have anything to do with masturbation? 

not at all!

Sounds like BULLSHIT! ALL OF IT! AND I USED TO TRY READING BOOKS ON THIS SHIT!

NOW IM WATCHING SHIT LIKE ICE SPIDERS

LOL  it's fun to read about it.  i'm not extremely knowledgable on the subject either, but I like thinking about it.

[Madrun Badrun]

In before Malek tells Mupepe to read Ryle's the concept of mind.

[Valcrist]

I don't think "mental" has to be so seperated from the biological components.  You could think about it more like cognition and thought are processes in which the brain taps the neurons to make decisions.
Like a computer that relies on its code to generate output, the brain relies on experiences / memories  (which is also knowledge) to come to a conclusion on things. When we see artificial intelligence "make decisions", it gathers information and instructions programmed into it, and carries out procedures, like jumping out of harm's way for example.  Yet we don't question if the computer is "thinking" or not, and if there's some kind of entity that carries these thoughts out.  I think we view "thought" and "cognition" as some kind of magical phenomena because we can't fully explain the complexity of it yet, nor are we even close.  
my two cents at least.

[Candyflip]

I don't know, all I know is I could go for some weed right now.

Me too man. Fucking hell.

[xnikki118x]

Oh honey, ILU.

Dualism isn't really accepted anymore--they use monism now, that the mind and brain are one.

We discussed it in biological psychology a few chapters ago.

The dualism thing makes sense to me, I think more sense than the monism theory, but that isn't what the experts agree on.

[Mupepe]

Oh honey, ILU.

Dualism isn't really accepted anymore--they use monism now, that the mind and brain are one.

We discussed it in biological psychology a few chapters ago.

The dualism thing makes sense to me, I think more sense than the monism theory, but that isn't what the experts agree on.

I'm torn on dualism.  The theory hits an incredibly hard wall and falls apart but the way it works makes sense to me.  Monoism is easier to explain but it seems fundamentally flawed to me.

I don't think "mental" has to be so seperated from the biological components.  You could think about it more like cognition and thought are processes in which the brain taps the neurons to make decisions.
Like a computer that relies on its code to generate output, the brain relies on experiences / memories  (which is also knowledge) to come to a conclusion on things. When we see artificial intelligence "make decisions", it gathers information and instructions programmed into it, and carries out procedures, like jumping out of harm's way for example.  Yet we don't question if the computer is "thinking" or not, and if there's some kind of entity that carries these thoughts out.  I think we view "thought" and "cognition" as some kind of magical phenomena because we can't fully explain the complexity of it yet, nor are we even close.  
my two cents at least.

Pretty much.  I'm sure eventually when we find out how thought processes work we'll all have a "well that makes sense moment" but because at this point in science it's so mysterious it is quite confusing.  And I completely agree with you.  Most thoughts and decisions simply seem to be learned reflexes that happen involuntarily/subconscious.