The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #96614   Message #1891428
Posted By: Paul Burke
23-Nov-06 - 03:08 AM
Thread Name: BS: Big Brain - Little Brain
Subject: RE: BS: Big Brain - Little Brain
coming from a different perspective, Daniel Dennett has formulated a concept of the relationship between the conscious and unconsioucs functioning of the brain, which agrees in may respects with that. the main difference is that it doesn't require the two functions (recation and evaluation, if you like) to be located in separate organs. But it makes experiment design much easier if they are.

One of the interesting characteristics of this concept is that it produces a result very close to the traditional religious concept of soul- a part of you which is conscious, but separate from the 'earthly' bodily functions, and which is often betrayed by the weak flesh but can also transcend it. the main difference is that it's not immortal, and is as purely physical as the other brain, and just as easily damaged by trauma, chemicals, radiation etc.

Interestingly, Dennett's ideas also have a place for Satan and possession by demons- except that he would call them memes which happen to be destructive to society and/ or the host. So the interesting question is: where do memes operate? In the LB or the BB or in the connection between the two?