“Being No One – Neuroscience Disproves the Self?” Comments, Page 1
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4 Comments on “Being No One – Neuroscience Disproves the Self?”
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My problem with the no-self idea(? experience?) is seen here:
“Various impulses and desires come up and, through our acts of selection . . .”
What is the status or meaning of “our”? Doesn’t this “our” have some reference to an individual with some kind of self-consciousness (a self in fact)?
As to Mr Metzinger’s assertion that: ‘“no such things as selves exist in the world” a very great deal seems to ride on what is meant by ‘existing’ and ‘world’ and ‘thing’ for that matter. If the criterion of judgement is empiricism then no doubt this statement is unexceptionable. If we can’t separate ourselves from our models then how are they ever falsified (unless Mr Metzinger claims that his ideas have not truth value)? I think his assertions are muddled.
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Hi Evan,
I don’t think anybody is denying that we are alive – human beings, organisms, living animals, with personality traits and a range of skills and capacities, including the capacity to direct our attention. The ‘self’ which is being ‘knocked’ is a kind of metaphysical idea of a permanent, essential, individually seperate, autonomous entity.
I agree about not being able to step outside the model to falsify them – there just isn’t a point ‘outside’ from which to view. I think there’s a great deal of conceptual confusion in Metzinger’s views as he states them (I wouldn’t say in the research itself because I am not able to judge). Hold on tight for next posts!
Shall read the next posts. Falsification does occur – so I would like to see this being taken account of.
If one understanding of the self is being attacked I would like to see this position then give an account of individuality.
It is not the problem whether self exists or not exists. We exist which is a fact. Neuro Science itself proves the existence of something more than self. Neuro Science has not revealed any strange truth to disprove the self. Neuro Scientists identify experiences as self which is a misidentification. It is obvious that experiences or feelings are arising through the brain. Sense of self or sense of being is an experience. Which feels all sense of experiences? I am receiving all sensations.not any signals. Neurons are receiving the signals. According to Neuro Scientists there are different areas in the brain to feel different sensations. For example area of smell can not feel the sense of taste. But I can feel taste,smell and all other sensations.So there must be a centre to feel all sensations. Is there any centre in the brain which can feel all sensations?