Philosophy Now Forum

I've been having these "wild" thoughts as philosophical speculation. Whether cancer in a person and the corresponding view on oneself as "I" can relate to Dualism.

Now this may seem out of the ordinary and I'm trying to tie it together in this fashion: if one has cancer, does this cancer relate to one's own view of the "I"?

Let's say a confirming investigation could give something like this: one has cancer (always the case, only the ones who get questions) and then maybe answers such that "I" is of lesser importance or neglible.

So, "hopefully", one can find a correlation in cases of cancer (physical expression) and rather negative self-views on one's own "I" (the immaterial expression)! At least, this is what the investigation "aims" for, in that cancer can be seen as expression of a kind of negative impact on the (central) nervous system and therefore a negative impact on the self, the "I" correspondingly. Thus yielding insights to a dualistic view.

Sure thing, mind doesn't get cancer, thankfully, but it could be exciting to find a parallel expression in the mind if one exists. Maybe we are getting close to it above. No?

Far out? Long shot? What say you?

Though I'm not quite sure of your question, but from my understanding you may try to raise a philosophical issue called the 'Personal Identity Problem' as described in the following link:

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/identity-personal/

I take this opportunity to share the issue in this forum because I regard such issue is indeed a very serious challenge for any theory based on physicalism to be facing at.

Doesn't sound too "far out" to me, and I've had two kinds of cancer.

consciousnessdualism wrote: ↑Tue Jul 25, 2017 7:37 am

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I'm not quite sure about this thread's question either, but "Personal identity Problem" is perhaps among the greatest challenges.

IMO the article from Stanford overemphasizes psychological continuity (half the article), like it is necessary for personal identity, but it isn't. It also raises questions about hemisphere transplants, something that can be done as a thought experiment only. Some soft questions could be answered perhaps, like instantly acquiring fluency in Russian if the hemisphere containing language is transplanted. But to the hard question, what self exists after transplant (Hamlet's gripping first line "Who's there?"), only neuroscientist might devise an answer (if they can).

IMO David, a patient discussed by Damasio, who lost all memories & his capacity to memorize, & who I refer in another thread (see link), convert psychological continuity into a mere self's contingency. David only has a 30-second working memory, so he lost psychological continuity. & yet he has personal identity and Damasio grants us that David has as much consciousness as you & me. He's no zombie.

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