Re: Determinism

From: Scott Chase (ecphoric@hotmail.com)
Date: Thu Apr 12 2001 - 18:20:27 BST

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From: "Scott Chase" <ecphoric@hotmail.com>
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Subject: Re: Determinism
Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 13:20:27 -0400
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    >From: Robin Faichney <robin@reborntechnology.co.uk>
    >Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    >To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    >Subject: Re: Determinism
    >Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 12:44:06 +0100
    >
    >On Wed, Apr 11, 2001 at 10:02:37PM -0500, joedees@bellsouth.net wrote:
    > >
    > > Scientific conclusion: A (the higher announced decision) causes B
    > > (the accessing of the particular area of the supporting lower
    > > material substrate). Once again, it's called science...
    >
    >I thought you said causal chains can't be traced in such complex systems
    >as the mind/brain?
    >
    >
    Wouldn't the fatal objection be to ask what caused A itself, lest A popped
    into existence from thin air. I would call A a decomposable component. Maybe
    this component could send arrows downward, but other compents below it exist
    previous to A in the causal network. "Top-down causation" would be limited
    in that it is ultimately open to decopmosition and that it is not a general
    flow direction, perhaps a mere exception to the rule of bottom up.

    Mindbrain is less dualistic than mind/brain. Those who exlore psychosomatic
    stuff might chime in and say a mental state can influence a body state. If
    so, this mental state itself decomposes to a neural state. Thus, a neural
    state (a type of body state) influences another body state.
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