A Mechanical Theory of Mind
As much as I hate to admit it, Hobbes' theory of mind was essentially correct. I liken the mind and brain to software and hardware.
Although both hardware and software are both "material things" they are different types of material. One's configuration is set and the other is easily changeable. This allows for modal processing of disparate information types (disparate physically interactive organizations of cascading causal sequence). States (or different configurations) of physically interactive organizations, interact with one another, change the states of one another, some of which can be reconfigured to input and output different configurations of physically interactive organizations. This is called software. Hardware based physically interactive organizations spit out only a definite type and number of physically interactive organizations. "Software" may be re-programmed on the fly (by another physically interactive organization (PIO)) either by hardware or software. The difference is the physical make-up.
This is what I was getting at with hardware and software. Why do I care? Because this is exactly how I theorize the brain and mind to operate.
The brain is the physically interactive organizations of material which is not easily altered, or altering it damages the processing capability. There are a definite number of states allowed. The "mind" is still material based (outside looking in) and is simply the physically interactive organizations which are modal - have re-definable states. They can be altered by inputs (either hard or soft) to accept new configurations of information collections, which I would guess is based on basic binary. On or off. True or false. Assertion or not. X or ~X. Sensations or not, etc.
It is my opinion, the point the brain leaves the mind is the point when one of the physically interactive organizations becomes a "kernel" like program - and evolves to perform some kind of data redundancy over the entire field of sub-processes, including itself, linking and finding patterns.
Add the ability to the kernel's organization to spit out new patterns based on existing patterns after a set period, not entirely random but not entirely willed either. Electricity or perhaps blood or chemicals course through the brain firing neurons, bringing random memories, sensations and thoughts (stored organizations) to the kernel (literally random physical interactions in the brain causing chain reactions of physical organizations interacting with other organizations - I hypothesize this is what certain brain waves are - some are the random fluctuations of interactions, some are the non-random reactions to interactions - I further hypothesize the cessitation of said physical stimuli is brain death) which seeks to recognize and extrapolate based on said patterns. Certain inputs (a familiar sensation) can cause the proclivity to recognize and extrapolate similar patterns to increase or decreases based on similarity (certain tunes bring other melodies to mind - while also making it difficult to imagine other melodies which are not alike).
The inner view (otherwise known as the intelligible method) can trace and examine up to the effects of the kernel. This is the breadth and depth of conscious thought, with the effects in which we can infer on the causes in sub-conscious thought as to its inner workings.
Examining any deeper seems to have to be done through the outer view - by cutting open a brain and watching how the neurons interrelate, which is no longer the domain of philosophy.
Although both hardware and software are both "material things" they are different types of material. One's configuration is set and the other is easily changeable. This allows for modal processing of disparate information types (disparate physically interactive organizations of cascading causal sequence). States (or different configurations) of physically interactive organizations, interact with one another, change the states of one another, some of which can be reconfigured to input and output different configurations of physically interactive organizations. This is called software. Hardware based physically interactive organizations spit out only a definite type and number of physically interactive organizations. "Software" may be re-programmed on the fly (by another physically interactive organization (PIO)) either by hardware or software. The difference is the physical make-up.
This is what I was getting at with hardware and software. Why do I care? Because this is exactly how I theorize the brain and mind to operate.
The brain is the physically interactive organizations of material which is not easily altered, or altering it damages the processing capability. There are a definite number of states allowed. The "mind" is still material based (outside looking in) and is simply the physically interactive organizations which are modal - have re-definable states. They can be altered by inputs (either hard or soft) to accept new configurations of information collections, which I would guess is based on basic binary. On or off. True or false. Assertion or not. X or ~X. Sensations or not, etc.
It is my opinion, the point the brain leaves the mind is the point when one of the physically interactive organizations becomes a "kernel" like program - and evolves to perform some kind of data redundancy over the entire field of sub-processes, including itself, linking and finding patterns.
Add the ability to the kernel's organization to spit out new patterns based on existing patterns after a set period, not entirely random but not entirely willed either. Electricity or perhaps blood or chemicals course through the brain firing neurons, bringing random memories, sensations and thoughts (stored organizations) to the kernel (literally random physical interactions in the brain causing chain reactions of physical organizations interacting with other organizations - I hypothesize this is what certain brain waves are - some are the random fluctuations of interactions, some are the non-random reactions to interactions - I further hypothesize the cessitation of said physical stimuli is brain death) which seeks to recognize and extrapolate based on said patterns. Certain inputs (a familiar sensation) can cause the proclivity to recognize and extrapolate similar patterns to increase or decreases based on similarity (certain tunes bring other melodies to mind - while also making it difficult to imagine other melodies which are not alike).
The inner view (otherwise known as the intelligible method) can trace and examine up to the effects of the kernel. This is the breadth and depth of conscious thought, with the effects in which we can infer on the causes in sub-conscious thought as to its inner workings.
Examining any deeper seems to have to be done through the outer view - by cutting open a brain and watching how the neurons interrelate, which is no longer the domain of philosophy.
posted by JB @ 11:35 PM
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