Mind and Brain: The First Night

In the beginning of The First Night, Mary claims herself as a materalist, Dave a dualist and Steve seems undecided on his position. The issue they talk about is immortality. Mary’s first argument claims that the human mind is made up of human processes and the mind is the same as the brain. Mary also claims that evolution is better explained through materialism. When your body dies, your brain goes with it and it’s not possible for you to exist past that point. This argument, althought reasonable, definitely makes you think. The question which brings up this immortality argument is obvious-  What happens after you die? If your mind and your brain are the exact same thing, then how does life end? When you think of immortality, usually you think of living forever; never dying as your age climbs. Do they mean immortality of the soul? However, Mary doesn’t believe in souls. If your mind dies with your brain because it is the same thing, then what happens? I feel as if Mary never answers this completely although her arguments explain everything from evolution to animals.

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One Comment

  1. zeek
    Posted February 13, 2010 at 3:07 am | Permalink

    I do not think that the arguments that they presented in the first night are so strong. However, I read a passage from the second night and it looks that they present very strong arguments.

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