tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6642011.post5660241058182808539..comments2023-10-29T10:32:36.914-04:00Comments on Philosophy, et cetera: Excessive CharityRichard Y Chappellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16725218276285291235noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6642011.post-21518720070159872452007-07-18T03:43:00.000-04:002007-07-18T03:43:00.000-04:00It is a fair point Genius, sometimes the most obvi...It is a fair point Genius, sometimes the most obvious of hypothesis still need research I remember a time at a conference where I saw a paper by a psychologist working with people who wanted to donate their organ to a stranger while they were alive. The general presumption of the psychologist was that these people must be mad in some fashion, so he tested them every which way. The conclusion: People who want to donate their organ while living to complete strangers have a highly developed sense of altruism...David Hunterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10511387997239132302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6642011.post-22948727925072813652007-07-18T02:20:00.000-04:002007-07-18T02:20:00.000-04:00hmm ok I see how ive not communicated properly. pa...hmm ok I see how ive not communicated properly. part of erics post was about how doctors assumed babies were not concious and thus they operated on them without attempts to reduce pain.<BR/><BR/>It seems like a similar sort of assumption as the assumption regarding animals not feeling pain and in this case children lacking theory of mind.Geniushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11624496692217466430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6642011.post-50625768905954249142007-07-17T19:22:00.000-04:002007-07-17T19:22:00.000-04:00G. - note that a "theory of mind" is just an intel...G. - note that a "theory of mind" is just an intellectual capacity: the ability to reason about others' beliefs and desires (as distinct from your own). So whether they're "more conscious" seems an entirely separate issue.Richard Y Chappellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16725218276285291235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6642011.post-23357189852760029352007-07-17T15:26:00.000-04:002007-07-17T15:26:00.000-04:00most research about that sort of thing is like "wo...most research about that sort of thing is like "wow we are amazed that age group X seems to be smarter than a carrot!<BR/>So while we might say "age group X seems to have theory of mind" it may not be very valid to say "age group Y doesn't have a theory of mind" because it could just be that it exists we just haven't seen it yet because it takes a slightly different form. note over at the splintered mind where they are talking about conciousness of babies. Eric suggests they may be MORE concious than us.Geniushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11624496692217466430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6642011.post-70295735185904968142007-07-17T09:01:00.000-04:002007-07-17T09:01:00.000-04:00Good grief I'm amazed that this is new research......Good grief I'm amazed that this is new research... I thought we were reasonably convinced that young children (unlike some adults of other species I might add) don't have a theory of mind yet. If that is the case then the belief they understand the perspective of God is clearly absurd.David Hunterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10511387997239132302noreply@blogger.com