Let me don my materialist thinking-cap for a moment.

If all that exists is matter, energy and the physical laws, [note that this is essentially a philosophical statement] then thoughts, by definition, must be a consequence of these entities---or an epiphenomenon of them, if you will.

Thoughts, being immaterial in nature, thus contradict the philosophical premise, that all that exists is matter, energy and laws.

A self-contradicting premise [materialism leads to many of them] is antithetical to reason, and it is for this reason [pun intended], that I reject them.

Ofcourse, one could say that laws and energy are immaterial also, but their effects are observable and quantifiable ie. amenable to scientific inquiry, whereas a thought is an abstraction and enigmatic in nature.

The only reasonable inference is, that thoughts exist or eminate from outside the realm of science.

However, this proposition this threatens the philosophical roots of materialsim or naturalist philosophy.

"Men are ever learning, but never coming to the knowledge of the truth" From the apostle Paul, in his letter to Timothy

• Thank you. - paulm - April 16, 2001 - 16:32 UTC
  • In the beginning was logos - isaiaha41 - April 17, 2001 - 01:28 UTC
    • Here's what I really think is going on - paulm - April 17, 2001 - 05:57 UTC
      • God in the box - isaiaha41 - April 17, 2001 - 15:58 UTC
        • Is this the way God is? - johnpowell - April 17, 2001 - 17:02 UTC
          • I guess so. - paulm - April 17, 2001 - 18:15 UTC
            • P.S. I forgot something - paulm - April 17, 2001 - 18:31 UTC
              • Modern descriptions of God should use modern terms. - johnpowell - April 18, 2001 - 07:19 UTC
            • Why you and I left the religions of our youth. - johnpowell - April 18, 2001 - 07:10 UTC
          • that can't be known [Paul and John] - isaiaha41 - April 18, 2001 - 16:08 UTC
        • Yes, in a box. - paulm - April 17, 2001 - 17:34 UTC