[lit-ideas] Re: Conscious after the fact?
- From: "Phil Enns" <phil.enns@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2008 12:12:22 +0700
John McCreery wrote:
"Now neuroscientists suggest that we make decisions up to 10 seconds
before we are conscious of making them."
Curious use of the word 'decision'. Can I make a decision and never
know it? A la 'Minority Report', can I be held responsible for a
decision I am not aware of making?
I don't want to deny that there are physiological elements involved in
decision-making, but I wouldn't call those elements 'decisions'.
But then there is this unfortunate comment from the article's author:
"Such experiments suggest that our best reasons for some choices we
make are understood only by our cells."
I am not sure where to even begin making sense of this use of the
words 'reasons' and 'understood'. Though, in keeping with the message
of the article, perhaps all that matters is whether my cells
understand and make the appropriate decisions?
Sincerely,
Phil Enns
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
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