Posted by Noctillucent on July 29, 19101 at 19:24:35:

In Reply to: Re: A 'skeptical' solipsist posted by Karma Police on July 29, 19101 at 11:56:12:

Some of your statements sound obscure, even contradictory.

You say the mind transmits, or produces, consciousness. But what is the mind if not consciousness itself? A mind that isn’t conscious would be a mindless mind – an obvious absurdity. And surely consciousness doesn’t transmit or produce itself to itself. Or are you merely saying that consciousness is *essentially* active and causal. This last statement I would agree with.

Your other statement deals with subject and object. Obviously the mind posits its ideas in an objective form. But the objective form the idea takes should not be confused with a physical object. The physical object is something to which the objective idea only refers, and that possible only if mind and matter interact.

Which makes interaction a deciding factor. You observe that mind and matter are incommensurate. They are. This would seem to negate their interacting. For interaction to occur, each must have an existence for the other. How is this possible? Thought is nothing for that which is thoughtless. And, in turn, that which is thoughtless is nothing for thought. Because each can only act according to what it is, neither can make itself real to the other, and so effect, or be affected by, the other.

You speak of a common ground. Logically, what can be thought and non-thought at the same time and sense? Obviously nothing. So wherein is the common ground?

Follow Ups:

• Re: A 'skeptical' solipsist Karma Police 21:35:18 7/30/101 (2)
  • Re: A 'skeptical' solipsist Noctillucent 03:12:11 7/31/101 (1)
    • Re: A 'skeptical' solipsist Charm 18:50:45 4/13/104 (0)

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