Staying tipsy

From: Wade T.Smith (wade_smith@harvard.edu)
Date: Fri Apr 20 2001 - 14:44:50 BST

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    Subject: Staying tipsy
    Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 09:44:50 -0400
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    On 04/19/01 18:11, joedees@bellsouth.net said this-

    >Some complex concepts simply cannot be translated into simpler
    >systems; if you think that they can, then supply me with a
    >molecular conception of self-consciousness.

    Ain't a molecular conception _less_ simple? The simple conception is, um,
    "god gave me a soul" - it is highly complex and involved to organize the
    physics of molecular interactions to explain anything, much less
    self-consciousness.

    >You are attempting to use "conceptual framework translation" as a
    >substitute for causation

    That's my take on Robin's statements as well, so far.

    >Being ABOUT causation is not the same as BEING causation; the
    >word 'tree' is NOT the leafy green thing with a brown trunk growing
    >out of the ground in my back yard.

    As well, and perhaps it's just a quirk of understanding, I come up
    wanting to recite the White Knight's Song at such times as well. I have
    it in a clip file for numerous occasions, but I won't post it again....

    >> But what matters is that you missed "which is not always desirable
    >> because it means losing sight of the bigger picture".

    >In the case of the dynamically recursive pattern configuration of the
    >emergent self as it relates to its material substrate brain, such a
    >reduction is not only not desireable; it is not possible.

    If the self is the product of a tipping point within this wetwork
    interacting with nature that we call homo sapiens sapiens, then I too
    fail to see how discussion, however minute and detailed, of 'individual
    grains' could lead to understanding of the causation of this self,
    although, yes, perspectively defined and technically augmented (and
    discovering anything, in this time and space, is pointless and futile
    without such augmentation) observation can certainly lead to explanatory
    facets of this (geodesic?) synergism.

    But, truly, parts of my own brain are getting fevered.

    - Wade

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