Freedom and Neurobiology

1. The Fundamental Philosophical Question: How Do We Fit into the Universe?

We now have a reasonably well-established conception of the basic structure of the universe... We understand that the universe consists entirely of particles (or whatever entities the ultimately true physics arrives at), and these exist in fields of force and are typically organized into systems.

Bridging Scientific Understanding and Human Experience. The core philosophical challenge is reconciling our scientific understanding of the universe with our complex human self-conception. We live in a world of mindless physical particles, yet we experience ourselves as conscious, intentional, rational beings capable of meaning-making and free will.

The Basic Facts Framework. Our scientific understanding provides a foundational context for philosophical inquiry. Key basic facts come from:

• Atomic theory of matter
• Evolutionary biology
• Physics and chemistry
• Understanding of biological development

Philosophical Exploration. The goal is not to reduce human experience to physical processes, but to understand how our rich inner lives emerge from and interact with the fundamental physical reality. This requires a nuanced approach that respects both scientific materialism and the irreducible complexity of consciousness.

2. Consciousness and Intentionality Are Biological Phenomena

Consciousness is entirely caused by neuronal processes in the brain and are realized in the brain as its higher-level or system features.

Consciousness as a Biological Feature. Contrary to traditional dualistic thinking, consciousness is not a mysterious, separate substance, but a natural phenomenon arising from neurobiological processes. It has a first-person, subjective ontology that cannot be reduced to third-person, objective descriptions.

Key Characteristics of Consciousness:

• Subjective, qualitative experience
• Caused by and realized in brain processes
• Irreducible to physical descriptions
• Functionally causative in moving the body

Intentionality as Biological Capacity. Similar to consciousness, intentionality (the "aboutness" of mental states) is a biological capacity that emerges from neural processes. It is not a mystical property but a natural feature of complex biological systems.

3. Language is an Extension of Biological Intentionality

Language is a manifestation and extension of more biologically primitive forms of intentionality.

Language as Biological Phenomenon. Rather than seeing language as a separate, abstract system, Searle argues it is fundamentally rooted in our biological capacity for mental representation and communication. Language builds upon more basic forms of intentionality like perception, action, belief, and desire.

Linguistic Evolution:

• Derived from prelinguistic intentional states
• Enables more complex forms of representation
• Creates shared meaning through collective intentionality
• Allows for sophisticated communication and reasoning

Naturalistic Approach. By understanding language as a biological extension, we can develop more sophisticated theories of meaning, communication, and social interaction that are grounded in our evolutionary and neurobiological foundations.

4. Rationality is Intrinsic to Intentionality and Language

Rationality is not a separate faculty, something added to language and mind. It is an internal structural feature of intentionality and of language.

Rationality as Structural Feature. Rationality is not an external standard imposed on thinking, but an inherent characteristic of intentional states and linguistic communication. The constraints of logic and consistency are built into our cognitive processes.

Rational Constraints:

• Logical coherence in beliefs
• Consistency in speech acts
• Ability to recognize and resolve contradictions
• Creating desire-independent reasons for action

Social and Institutional Implications. This understanding of rationality extends beyond individual cognition, helping explain how we create complex social structures, institutions, and systems of obligation that depend on shared rational frameworks.

5. Free Will Requires Recognizing the Existence of a Rational Self

Rational action explanations require us to postulate the existence of an irreducible self, a rational agent.

The Gap in Decision-Making. Free will emerges from our experience of a "gap" between causes and actions, where we sense alternative possibilities and the ability to choose rationally. This experience cannot be fully explained by deterministic causation.

Characteristics of the Self:

• Unified field of consciousness
• Capacity for rational deliberation
• Ability to initiate and sustain actions
• Source of voluntary, reason-based decisions

Neurobiological Challenge. The philosophical problem of free will becomes a scientific question: How could brain processes enable genuine rational choice that is neither completely determined nor purely random?

6. Social Reality is Created Through Collective Intentionality

Collective intentionality is the foundation of society. Whenever two or more agents share a belief, desire, intention or other intentional state, and wherever they are aware of so sharing, the agents in question have collective intentionality.

Collective Intentionality Mechanism. Social reality emerges from our capacity to share mental states and cooperate. This goes beyond individual intentions to create shared understanding, goals, and actions.

Social Reality Creation:

• Shared beliefs and intentions
• Cooperative behavior
• Mutual recognition of shared states
• Basis for more complex social structures

From Simple to Complex Social Institutions. Collective intentionality provides the foundation for increasingly sophisticated social arrangements, from simple cooperation to complex institutional structures like governments, economies, and cultural systems.

7. Political Power Derives from Status Functions and Collective Acceptance

Because the system of status functions requires collective acceptance, all genuine political power comes from the bottom up.

Nature of Political Power. Political power is not inherent or absolute but emerges from collective recognition of certain status functions. Even in dictatorships, power depends on maintaining collective acceptance.

Characteristics of Political Power:

• Based on status functions
• Requires collective acceptance
• Involves deontic powers (rights, duties, obligations)
• Ultimately derives from people's recognition

Legitimacy and Acceptance. The fundamental political challenge is maintaining the collective belief in the legitimacy of political institutions and their assigned powers.

8. Institutional Facts Require Constitutive Rules and Language

Language plays an extra role... that language is partly constitutive of all institutional reality.

Language as Institutional Creator. Language is not just a communication tool but actively creates and maintains institutional realities. By representing things in certain ways, we bring institutional facts into existence.

Constitutive Rules Mechanism:

• Transform brute facts into institutional facts
• Use "X counts as Y" formulations
• Require collective recognition
• Depend on linguistic/symbolic representation

Symbolic Power. Our ability to collectively agree on and represent status functions through language enables the creation of complex social institutions.

9. The Paradox of Government: Power Comes from Collective Acceptance

Governmental power is a system of status functions and thus rests on collective acceptance, but the collective acceptance, though not itself based on violence, can continue to function only if there is a permanent threat of violence in the form of the military and the police.

Government's Unique Power Dynamics. Governments represent the ultimate institutional structure, with unique capabilities to regulate other social institutions and maintain territorial control.

Power Maintenance Strategies:

• Monopoly on organized violence
• Territorial control
• Collective loyalty and acceptance
• Complex system of status functions

Sovereignty Challenge. Traditional concepts of sovereignty are complicated by modern democratic structures, requiring more nuanced understanding of power distribution.

10. Naturalizing Philosophy Means Understanding Human Experiences Scientifically

We now have a reasonably well-established conception of the basic structure of the universe... We now can recognize the real and sometimes irreducible character of the phenomena while at the same time acknowledging that we live in exactly one world and not two or thirty-seven.

Scientific and Philosophical Integration. Naturalistic philosophy seeks to understand human experiences as emerging from biological and physical processes without reducing or eliminating their unique characteristics.

Philosophical Transformation:

• Move beyond dualistic thinking
• Recognize consciousness as a biological phenomenon
• Understand human experiences scientifically
• Preserve the richness of subjective experience

Holistic Approach. The goal is a comprehensive understanding that respects both scientific materialism and the complexity of human consciousness, intentionality, and social reality.

Last updated: December 28, 2024