Begin forwarded message:
From: Edgar Owen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: December 1, 2008 8:06:12 PM EST
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [evol-psych] Re: Essay: Without Infinite Regress
Robert,
Yes we do have mental models and consciousness does see
(experience) them. That is in fact what I just said. What I said
was that consciousness experiences a mental model of self and a
mental model of consciousness as an object (content) of
consciousness. Consciousness doesn't experience itself - it can't
because it is experience itself. The buck stops there....
The eye cannot see itself. It can see only a model or image (eg. a
reflection or photograph) of itself. That's the easy way to
understand it.... Thus there is no infinite regress of eyes seeing
eyes seeing eyes ad infinitum...
Edgar
On Dec 1, 2008, at 6:42 PM, Robert Karl Stonjek wrote:
Edgar:
Andy,
I agree completely with your post with one caveat. When you say I
said we are not self conscious, that's not really what I said
though I agree with the thought behind your statement. My position
is that we are self conscious, but that the self we are conscious
of is a cognitive model of self, which is what you are saying.
You are correct in that all we know of the world, including our
self, is in fact our mental models of such, rather than the thing
itself in any objective Kantian sense.
RKS:
Oh, so we have a mental model but nothing sees it???
Think again - if you have a mental model then it is either seen
(consumed, processed) downstream or it can be removed without a
person noticing. But we do notice, don't we...
Robert
