Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: B-Chan
What is this "I" you speak of?

I'm not sure I understand your question. I'm referring to myself as an individual human being.

163 posted on 03/21/2005 3:05:14 PM PST by Modernman ("They're not people, they're hippies!"- Cartman)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 162 | View Replies ]


To: Modernman
From a materialist standpoint, the notion of the "individual" is semantically meaningless. You say that "you" own your nose. What is "you"? Your brain? Do "you" own your brain, or are "you" and your brain the same thing? If the latter, are all human beings merely brains? When someone says "point to yourself", do you point at your brain and say "this is me"? And if your brain is damaged, are you less of a human being than a person with an undamaged brain? Is a brain in a jar a dead person, or merely an organ?

When you say "I", are you referring to your brain, or to some part of your brain, or an individual molecule within some part of your brain, or what?

Where is this "I" you speak of? It can't be pointed to. It can't be observed. It can't be measured. We can point to, observe, and measure the human body and its parts, including the brain, but all we will discover by such analysis is various lumps of meat, not self-aware persons. As far as materialist science is concered, neither "you" nor "I" exist.

164 posted on 03/21/2005 3:19:06 PM PST by B-Chan (Catholic. Monarchist. Texan. Any questions?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 163 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson