I presume you know you convey contempt, and intentionally do so. I again urge you to spend some time in Chalmers's PHILOSOPHY OF MIND anthology. It may not win you over, but perhaps it will convince you some people of noncontemptible intelligence have mounted considerable arguments for dualism.
> The question is can something material give rise to something immaterial? > That's not THE question but it's certainly A question. And it has the hint of conceding that neural matter and consciousness are two different sorts of entities. A magnet is material, but how about the magnetic field it gives rise to? A physical mass is material; how about gravity? A dark, inert piece of coal when inflamed give off heat and light. But of course the dualist answer would be yes, of course, neural excitation gives ise consciousness. > People have always claimed that magic for themselves but do they claim it > for > other creatures and any living thing at all? Wait, some people even say > inanimate things without brains, like rocks, can have thoughts or can have > feelings. > > I very deeply want to be a dualist. It would solve a lot of issues > that make it > more comfortable to be a human being. > wc
