Hi everybody I'm a Musician from sunny Manchester, with an interest in neurophysiology, robotics, electronics, consciousness and almost everything with the possible exception of Sport and Opera.
I hope to learn a lot here but I'm a little worried about the contents of the introduction. My problem is that this talk of "mental constructs" as if it was something that comes about independently in people and has no connection to an external "reality". To me this would mean that other people are just mental constructs and have no independent existence, which leads inevitably to Solipsism.
Now I can't "prove" that other people exist independently of me but I have ample evidence to satisfy me of the truth of this by the interactions with people I have every day of my life. The fact that I'm talking to you right now using language means I've accepted your independent existence.
These "mental constructs" are grounded in 3 billion years of organic evolution and are not arbitrary.
It seems to me that "mental constructs" are the only game in town as pure consciousness does nothing but simply is.
Or maybe I've got hold of the wrong end of the stick?

TTFN

John S

Welcome, John. I assume you are acquiring some respect for the difficulties encountered by Berkeley and Liebnitz in getting their philosophies accepted. They had a similar view of "the only reality being mental."

I think that what they and Shawn Mikula really mean is that all we can know of our selves and the world we are in is our own mental constructs, which, of course, are based on intelligent evaluation of sensory input. "Theatre of the Mind" is another term I have heard used for this realizaiton.

Thanks for the feedback folks, I'll let you into a secret, but keep it under your hat; I like some Gilbert and Sullivan.

TTFN

John S

Hello John S,

Welcome to brainmeta!

From your intro I'd say you stand a good chance of enjoying yourself amongst us - I hope so anyway!!

All the best, Bill.