3 ms·

> But it could also be labelled ideal or mental, from a different categorization scheme. Whatever label you put to the category, they are all in the same one.

by redial 10y ago

goatlover 10y ago
Wouldn't it depend on what sort of attributes phenomena in the category are supposed to have? If we say that everything is material, then presumably we mean that there is a criteria for what makes something material, probably along the lines of what physicists use to make physical theories. Otherwise, our category should just be called "everything".
- redial 10y ago
  I've always found that line of argumentation very disingenuous[1]. Of all the explanations we have for anything that has ever been explained, anywhere in any time, they all fall in the physical/material category. This of course doesn't mean there could never be another explanation. But the time to take it seriously is when serious evidence is presented. Just because we can imagine a certain reality in which events, actions and things might occur in a different way, doesn't mean it is this reality. [1]The argument is disingenuous, not you of course.
  - collyw 10y ago
    > Of all the explanations we have for anything that has ever been explained, anywhere in any time, they all fall in the physical/material category. So far we haven't come up with a decent explanation of consciousness which is why I am prepared to be a bit more open minded. The fact you can't observe it, only experience it adds to that. It may well be physical, but it may not.
    - redial 10y ago
      It might be an entirely different thing altogether! why restrict our "open mind" to only those two choices? > So far we haven't come up with a decent explanation of consciousness which is why I am prepared to be a bit more open minded. Then we should say we don't know. It's disingenuous to say that because we don't have an answer, or as in this case, a full and complete answer, then it means that it might be this entirely different thing for which nobody has any evidence, no one has any explanation and no one can even describe or define.

> But it could also be labelled ideal or mental, from a different categorization scheme. Whatever label you put to the category, they are all in the same one.

by redial 10y ago

> But it could also be labelled ideal or mental, from a different categorization scheme. Whatever label you put to the category, they are all in the same one.

goatlover 10y ago

Wouldn't it depend on what sort of attributes phenomena in the category are supposed to have? If we say that everything is material, then presumably we mean that there is a criteria for what makes something material, probably along the lines of what physicists use to make physical theories. Otherwise, our category should just be called "everything".

redial 10y ago
I've always found that line of argumentation very disingenuous[1]. Of all the explanations we have for anything that has ever been explained, anywhere in any time, they all fall in the physical/material category. This of course doesn't mean there could never be another explanation. But the time to take it seriously is when serious evidence is presented. Just because we can imagine a certain reality in which events, actions and things might occur in a different way, doesn't mean it is this reality. [1]The argument is disingenuous, not you of course.
- collyw 10y ago
  > Of all the explanations we have for anything that has ever been explained, anywhere in any time, they all fall in the physical/material category. So far we haven't come up with a decent explanation of consciousness which is why I am prepared to be a bit more open minded. The fact you can't observe it, only experience it adds to that. It may well be physical, but it may not.
  - redial 10y ago
    It might be an entirely different thing altogether! why restrict our "open mind" to only those two choices? > So far we haven't come up with a decent explanation of consciousness which is why I am prepared to be a bit more open minded. Then we should say we don't know. It's disingenuous to say that because we don't have an answer, or as in this case, a full and complete answer, then it means that it might be this entirely different thing for which nobody has any evidence, no one has any explanation and no one can even describe or define.