[OT] Plato's Pub and Philosophical Society

[Jack Simth]

Originally posted by Kamog:
There seems to be at least two points of view in regards to how our thoughts originate. (1) There is the biochemistry view that says thoughts are a result of chemical reactions in the brain; i.e. the different chemical and electrical processes are what thought is. If this is so, free will would be an illusion. (2) Another view is that we have a soul or spirit which is separate from physical matter. Thoughts originate from this non-physical spirit, and the chemical processes in the brain are a secondary phenomenon caused by the thought. Then free will is possible because thoughts can originate independently of the arrangement of chemicals and atoms in the physical brain.

Interesting take, but it does point out one important fact: Competing base unproveable assumptions. 1) Measureable reality is all that exists. 2) Soul exists and has influence.

Niether of these can be objectively tested (barring some controversial expieriments where dying people lost 3/4 of an ounce on death, disreputable claims on psionics, near-death experiences, et cetera) which would put the debate up to an endurance challenge on which side can keep shouting the longest, as both sides assume different things and niether assumption is either proveable or disproveable, and everything follows from those base assumptions.