From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!ists!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!psych.toronto.edu!michael Wed Feb  5 11:56:20 EST 1992
Article 3411 of comp.ai.philosophy:
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Path: newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!ists!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!psych.toronto.edu!michael
>From: michael@psych.toronto.edu (Michael Gemar)
Subject: Re: Strong AI and panpsychism (was Re: Virtual Person?)
Message-ID: <1992Feb2.193728.25270@psych.toronto.edu>
Organization: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
References: <1992Jan30.170517.29673@psych.toronto.edu> <1992Feb1.212751.5911@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu> <1992Feb2.082603.6355@ccu.umanitoba.ca>
Date: Sun, 2 Feb 1992 19:37:28 GMT

In article <1992Feb2.082603.6355@ccu.umanitoba.ca> zirdum@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Antun Zirdum) writes:

[initial argument deleted]

>It is obvious to me that our brain is connected to the rest of our sense
>organs thru nerves, and hence all sensory input to our 'minds' must be
>a result of physics of the body! (Yes, I know what I mean but it is really
>getting late and I can't explain it!)
>	The question is "why do we need to introduce some ether-substance
>called 'mind' when it does not introduce any new effects into the system?
>	If it doesn't do anything, then why assume that it must be there?

Well, one not-so-glib answer is "because everyone believes they have
one."  Recognize that, if you are going to argue that the mind doesn't
exist, then you are going to have to account for why the belief it
does is so widespread (1/2 :-).

- michael




