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Article 1176 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: map@u02.svl.cdc.com (Mark Peters)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: MIND, BRAIN, CONCIOUSNESS
Message-ID: <37623@shamash.cdc.com>
Date: 31 Oct 91 19:07:57 GMT
References: <1991Oct29.214816.23349@timessqr.gc.cuny.edu> <37577@shamash.cdc.com> <1991Oct31.123035.20723@odin.diku.dk>
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In <1991Oct31.123035.20723@odin.diku.dk> kurt@diku.dk (Kurt M. Alonso) writes:

>map@u02.svl.cdc.com (Mark Peters) writes:

>>In <1991Oct29.214816.23349@timessqr.gc.cuny.edu> las@cunyvms1.gc.cuny.edu writes:

>>>I once asked a Zen master this question. First he laughed at me, and
>>>then he said:

>>>"Brain happens to conciousness. Mind happens to brain after brain is
>>>happening to conciousness". 
>>>[Rest deleted for space]

>>[Stuff deleted for space]

>>This Zen master said that "brain happens to consciousness," which
>>implies that consciousness came first, then the brain.  The proper
>>view is that both mind and consciousness arise from the nature of
>>the brain (and of the rest of the nervous system).

>I think you are wrong. Consciousness is a meaning-giving activity,
>and as such, it "creates" the brain by pointing out somewhere in the
>blue and "exclaiming" BRAIN!. Afterwards, it creates the
>mind as the holder of consciousness. Therefore, logically speaking,
>consciousness precedes the brain. Historically, and if you are
>a realist, the brain may precede mind and consciousness. However,
>and just to loop the loop (:-), History itself is a product of
>consciousness.

Well, you are using the term "creates" in a very strange way, and it
appears that you realize this (else why enclose it in quotes?).  It
is true that the discovery of the brain as the seat of consciousness
happened long after we knew we were conscious, but then that event
was the *discovery* of the brain, not the creation of it.

The point I was making was simply that there cannot be consciousness
prior to the existence of the physical cause of consciousness, i.e.,
the brain.  "Logically speaking" and physically, brain precedes both
consciousness and mind.
--
Mark A. Peters                              ****** ======================
Control Data Corporation                    ****** == "What a save!!!" ==
Internet: map@svl.cdc.com                   ****** == "What an idea!!" ==


