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Culture War Roundup for the week of April 10, 2023

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can explain how and why the unspecified biochemical reactions produce consciousness, agency, though or qualia

Slime molds have agency. Even extremely simple organisms without any neurons are capable of solving problems they evolved to solve,, such as efficiently gobbling up nutrients and whatnot.

I will never not point out that this is materialist mythology supported by nothing

Materialism itself allows immaterial things.

Information doesn't care what sort of matter it's encoded in.

Obviously atoms are the only thing that can encode information, but without said information, they're just a useless chaotic mess, so..

I don't get what exactly do people need non-materialist philosophies for, when materialism itself pretty much allows everything you may want, especially if you add in god-like entities to whom time is just another dimension. What would you need immaterial souls for if you can just take a peek at the arrangement of the atoms of the brain of anything at any time during its lifetime ?

Materialism itself allows immaterial things.

Information doesn't care what sort of matter it's encoded in.

That's not Materialism, that would be Realism. Which I agree with. Everything is indeed contained in Reality.