Why I am not a Materialist.
Let me try again.
In order for an observation, any observation, to exist, there must be a observer and a thing observed.
Observed things can only be observed to have external properties, such as mass, length, duration, current, temperature, amount, candlepower. Observers, in the act of observing things, use symbols or thoughts. Symbols have internal properties, such as true and false, valid and invalid. Using symbols or thinking is also a purposeful action. Purposeful actions have internal properties such as efficient and inefficient, good and bad.
While the thing observed can be a thing made of matter (i.e. something with external properties and no internal properties, no intention and no mind and no meaning) the observer cannot lack internal properties because the observation, in order to be an observation, the act of observation must be intentional (the thought or symbol is meant to represent something) and the observation itself mean or represent something (in this case, the thing observed).
The observer cannot be a thing with external and no internal properties.
The physical sciences by design deal only with observed things and their external properties, and the physical sciences deliberately limit themselves from not inquiring about the internal properties, if any, of observed things.
From this, it is illegitimate to conclude that observers are observed things with no internal properties, since, by definition, if the observation were true that observers had no internal properties, then the observation would be neither true nor false, because it would then be something with external properties and no internal properties, no intention and no mind and no meaning.
Understood?
About John C Wright
John C. Wright is a practicing philosopher, a retired attorney, newspaperman, and newspaper editor, and a published author of science fiction. Once a Houyhnhnm, he was expelled from the august ranks of purely rational beings when he fell in love; but retains an honorary title.
