[Wittrs] Is Homeostasis the Answer? (Re: Variations in the Idea of Consciousness)
- From: "iro3isdx" <xznwrjnk-evca@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: wittrsamr@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:31:26 -0000
--- In Wittrs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "SWM" <SWMirsky@...> wrote:
> Okay, not necessarily biological then. And homeostasis implies
> purpose, right, i.e., the purpose of maintaining the integrity
> of the system. From this drive comes the many functions of living
> organisms though not necessarily only living organisms.
Yes, you've got it.
> That is you want to say that it's at least conceivable that something
> non-living could be a homeostatic entity, too.
Yes. A thermostatically controlled building would match those
requirements well enough.
> But the issue on the table is something a little different, i.e., it
> is what do brains, that are the product of evolutionary development,
> do to make/cause/produce consciousness in the world?
People are conscious. Brains aren't, as far as I can tell. That is,
brains are not enough. It isn't some magical internal processing that
results in consciousness. Rather, it is a way of interacting with the
world.
Unfortunately, you don't seem to be receptive to a discussion of that
way of interacting. Nor does anybody else, for that matter. Whenever I
try to get to that topic, I see a lack of interest.
> That is, what is the mechanism that living entities of a certain type
> (those with brains at least like ours) require for consciousness
> to happen?
The summary term that is used for what is required, is "perception."
Everybody (other than me) seems to want to take perception for granted,
without trying to examine what is required for perception. Note that I
am following J.J Gibson in distinguishing between perception and
sensation. Perception is involved with getting useful information
about the world.
> What is the pragmatic because homeostatic driven feature(s) of the
> brain that gives us the features we associate with being conscious,
> with having a mind.
There are lots of decisions that need to be made by the system in order
to implement perception. And many of these decisions are somewhat
arbitrary (not dictated by evidence). There are no suitable criteria
of truth that can settle them. That leaves pragmatic judgement as a
basis for such required decisions.
Regards,
Neil
=========================================
Need Something? Check here: http://ludwig.squarespace.com/wittrslinks/
Other related posts:
