We Are Meaning Creating Creatures

[coberst]

Originally Posted by Flint

1) The only way I can understand the world is as deterministic. Introduing a magical "X Factor" is neither founded by logic, nor is it useful.

2) The conceit of man, regarding his feeling that he is somehow special, is our greatest barrier to understanding. I don't feel devalued by the concept that I am a very complex machine, because the universe itself is a very much more complex machine than I am; my level of complexity is rudimentary.

3) "Feeling strongly" about something carries no weight when I know that my feelings are just a rush of chemicals responding to a specific stimulus.

4) There is wonder and mystery in the mechanics of conciousness that doesn't have to be attributed to "spirits" inside of us to make it worthy of reverence.

@coberst: Your thoughts on any of the above? (Labeled 1 through 4 for your convenince).

1) I suspect very few people see them self as you do. I suspect you are not conscious of how you really feel about this matter. You might find that reading Ernest Becker’s book “The Birth and Death of Meaning” to be worth while. Cognitive science informs us that more than 95% of our thinking is unconscious.
2) Becker has written several books that will enlighten your views of these matters.
3) You need to become a self-actualizing self-learner.
4) You are correct except the word mechanics is misapplied.