A scientific obsession of this era is the causal relationship between quantum physics, which deals with subatomic matter, and various aspects of macroscopic physics, including biology, which is the subset of physics dealing with living matter. Phenomenology is a different matter, for it is about consciousness--something that, whether it gives metaphysical rise to matter or the other way around, is objectively nonphysical [1]. This does not logically necessitate any such thing as an afterlife of unembodied consciousness after biological death, but it is true that consciousness, one of the only things that is self-evident (to deny or even doubt that one is conscious can only be done if one is already conscious to do so), is demonstrably immaterial. It thus cannot be identical to the physical brain and extended nervous system.
All the same, in accordance with the broader fixation of this age, some people try to discover or provide alleged support for all sorts of ideas about the relationship between the particles, energy, and interactions of quantum physics and the nature of consciousness. Logical necessity allows a being making no assumptions to realize that they exist as a consciousness, that consciousness is immaterial, that it still metaphysically and epistemologically depends on logical axioms, and so on, but many who explore the issue are not rationalists. Even if they knew all of these other things, for any assumptions prevent true knowledge and one cannot know anything at all without starting with self-necessity of logical axioms, they still might overlook that scientific investigation will never prove that other minds exist, that the external world gives rise to matter, and much more. At most, they can speculate based on hearsay or unprovable inferences about quantum physics.
Perfect correlation of two events over many years does not prove there is a casual connection; perhaps some other unrecognized or unverifiable thing is truly the cause of the effect. How, though, would someone observe the quantum realm through their experience of everyday macroscopic life? They could not! Not even the seeming dependence of human consciousness on the presence of neural matter proves anything more than that this appears to be so. Although there is no way to prove this is true beyond the perception-based evidence one is restricted to--for instance, one can see other creatures that appear to have their own consciousness die and realize that it appears like certain alignments of matter produce nonphysical consciousness, which seemingly perishes and leaves an inanimate body behind--it really does nevertheless seem as if matter creates the immaterial mind of humans and other animals.
If certain arrangements of matter that form a nervous system produce consciousness, the seat of perception, then immaterial consciousness would be derived from matter in accordance with popular emergent naturalist philosophy regarding this particular existent [2]. This would be how science could hypothetically lead to a means of resurrecting people's minds and not just their bodies [3]. If quantum particles exist, and they contribute to the formation of atoms, which together comprise molecules, which if massed together into a brain somehow are correlated with the sustained existence of consciousness, then this is the general connection between quantum physics and the mind. Whatever the exact particle-to-particle chain of composition, this would be the units of matter that constitute the larger neural substance from which consciousness is causally derived.
It is still not true that all organisms that are likely conscious have nervous systems as extensive as that of humans, or any nervous system at all. For many oceanic life forms, the nervous system is quite different from that of humans so that creatures like jellyfish, starfishes, urchins, and corals lack brains. Sea sponges appear to be conscious and yet reportedly have no neurons at all [4]. If this is the case, then consciousnesses living in this universe do not always stem from nervous systems, despite how they could still hinge on some sort of body. However, for humans or any other creature down to the sea slug, if matter in a given configuration, like that of a primate brain, sparks immaterial consciousness, then consciousness has a material cause despite being inherently immaterial itself. In turn, if matter reduces down to subatomic units like quarks, then yes, this is how quantum physics is involved in consciousness.
[1]. For just some of my many posts detailing this, see the following:
No comments:
Post a Comment