Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id AAA14097 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Tue, 11 Dec 2001 00:50:04 GMT Message-ID: <001c01c181dd$3cff3bc0$a224f4d8@teddace> From: "Dace" <edace@earthlink.net> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: Re: Definition please Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 16:46:12 -0800 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0019_01C1819A.2D4926C0" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4133.2400 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
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From: William Benzon
> > The problem is that you can't demonstrate why, if a brain is accompanied
> > by a mind, an electric piano wouldn't have one as well.
> >
> > Where do you draw the line? After all, an electric piano has a kind of
> > nervous system. It has input and output.
>
> It has no kind of nervous system whatever.
Of course it does. Anything that links input to output is a kind of nervous
system, regardless of how primitive. Besides, your definition of mind is so
broad it would include any system that functions as a whole-- biological or
technological, nervous system or not.
If the mind is the functioning of the entire nervous system, why wouldn't the
global operation of any complex object constitute a mind? What is it that's
unique about a brain that associates it with mentality?
Ted
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