Philosophical Speculations

https://headtruth.blogspot.com/2021/05/ ... t-dna.html

Every time I link to one of Mark Mahan's commentaries, I feel obliged to state that while I tend
to agree with him in general, we differ in some important respects.

Nevertheless, his posts are well worth reading, as is this one.

https://headtruth.blogspot.com/2021/05/ ... t-dna.html

Actually the title of what your link is

A Soul Might Explain Instincts, but DNA and Brains Cannot

That's quite different from Souls Explain Brains, which I don't think you intended. Or did you?

However, I think instincts are built-in physiological and neurological patterns constructed from genetic and epigenetic instructions that exist largely prior to learning.

Mark Mahan says,
One of the central myths about DNA is the idea . . . that it is some kind of blueprint for an organism.

I think my title is an apt summation of Mahan's extensive commentary, but I won't belabor the point.

Jim said,
However, I think instincts are built-in physiological and neurological patterns constructed from genetic and epigenetic instructions that exist largely prior to learning.

Mahan addressed this, and if I read him correctly, he strongly disagrees.

While I am not always comfortable with Mahan's details, I think he is onto something.

My analogy is cosmological.
The observed structure of the universe (galaxies, clusters and galactic strings, etc)
is due to some invisible gravity-inducing substance (if it is indeed a substance) called "Dark Matter."

Similarly, if I may speculate, the organization of biochemicals into living organisms
is due to something that used to be called Élan vital, loosely translated as a "Life Force."

My speculation is that Élan vital, like consciousness, is not produced by matter, but that
it exists on a sort of higher level, a more foundational level.

As do Idealists, I find no plausible physical explanation for consciousness,
and many reasons to reject that explanation.

For example, consciousness is the only observed phenomenon that observes itself.
It is the consciousness of consciousness, the perception of perception, the observation of observation.
These descriptions are recursive, which strongly works against the physicalist definitions,
not only of consciousness, but of its two partners in tri-unity --
Life, (Consciousness) and Free Will

There are other arguable world views, but until I find a reason to change mine,
(as they say in the old gangster movies of yore)
that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
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My speculation is that Élan vital, like consciousness, is not produced by matter, but that
it exists on a sort of higher level, a more foundational level.

This is a common attitude but I find that it actually denigrates our existence. It makes it something second rate, whereas I don't believe it is.

To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower 
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand 
And Eternity in an hour

My speculation is that Élan vital, like consciousness, is not produced by matter, but that
it exists on a sort of higher level, a more foundational level.

This is a common attitude but I find that it actually denigrates our existence. It makes it something second rate, whereas I don't believe it is.

I am mystified by that finding.

Jim Cross wrote: ↑Fri May 28, 2021 11:36 am

My speculation is that Élan vital, like consciousness, is not produced by matter, but that
it exists on a sort of higher level, a more foundational level.

This is a common attitude but I find that it actually denigrates our existence. It makes it something second rate, whereas I don't believe it is.

To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower 
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand 
And Eternity in an hour

How do you see, feel, hear, taste, smell and think the relation of sentience and matter?

How does any of this denigrate our existence?
I think it rather gives us more meaningfulness.

consciousness is the only observed phenomenon that observes itself.