From: fuchs@michaelfuchs.org
Subject: Insoluable Problems? Oh really?
To: fuchs@michaelfuchs.org
Date: Sun, 12 Aug 2001 13:10:59 -0700 (PDT)
Cc: ryan_canolty@yahoo.com (Ryan Canolty),
        cpoplawski@yahoo.com (Chad Poplawski), sc@ewav.com,
        alex@heublein.net (Alexander Heublein),
        jfk@stanfordalumni.org (Jeremy Kassis),
        jlaltrel@us.ibm.com (Joe Laltrello),
        ali.henry@talk21.com (Alison Henry), theman@followryan.com (Ryan Fife),
        cal@enteract.com (Cal Lott), homonculous@mindspring.com (Matt Grabowy),
        snitch@zonker.stanford.edu (Shawn Tseng),
        allison.best@alumni.duke.edu (Allison Best),
        mmoore@digital-impact.com (Mandy Moore)

Okay, on rereading my last piece, I have to admit to A) sophistry, and
B) repurposing old content:


fuchs@michaelfuchs.org intrepidly averred:
> 
> There are certain important philosophical problems
> that echo, answerless, through the ages. 
> 	* CONSCIOUSNESS
> 	* The SELF
> 	* TEMPORALITY
> 	* FREE WILL
> 	* MORALITY
> 	* WHAT ARE WE HERE FOR?
> And nothing ever gets put to bed.


I admit I was simply rehashing an old list of conundri--and ended up
ignoring real progress we've made int this discussion. Specifically:


* I think we have general agreement on CONSCIOUSNESS being explicable
  in terms of computational theory of mind and evolutionary psychology,
  specifically as "an adaptation module run amok." See:

	http://www.michaelfuchs.org/life/words/moral/5.html#jk


* I don't think anyone here would seriously argue that the SELF is
  anything other than the mind, as instantiated in the brain. (Stop me
  if you're really attached to your chakras . . . ;^) We (royal we 8^)
  also made a bold claim about the *precise* seat of identity (or
  "location of the soul") as being in the prefontal cortex: 

	http://www.michaelfuchs.org/life/words/moral/2.html#mf

	http://www.michaelfuchs.org/life/words/moral/7.html#mf


* Ryan proposed a dandy resolution of the FREE WILL conundrum:

	http://www.michaelfuchs.org/life/words/moral/11.html#rc


* I think Jeremy, with help from Scott, put MORALITY to bed--it's based
  on adaptive behaviours, ultimately mediated by cultural negotiation:

	http://www.michaelfuchs.org/life/words/moral/5.html#jk2

	http://www.michaelfuchs.org/life/words/moral/8.html#sc


Now, if we can just resolve TEMPORALITY, and WHAT ARE WE HERE FOR? (and
Jeremy's already taken a bit of a spirited stab at the latter) then,
ladies and gents, we will have solved (to our satisfaction; and who
cares about anybody else's), right here together, imo, the major
problems of philosophy. Not a bad month's work.  

Michael
Takes All The Credit For Putting The Minds In The Room  8^)

-- 
              Michael Fuchs     "It is necessary to go farther. The
     fuchs@michaelfuchs.org      executioners eye each other with
http://www.michaelfuchs.org      suspicion." Camus, _L'Homme Revolte_