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Old 03-27-2008, 05:42 AM
Open Mind Open Mind is offline
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Is the placebo/nocebo effect compatible with physicalism?

It seems physicalism (matter creates mind) needs to argue that natural selection found evolutionary advantages in self healing being disabled? What were the evolutionary benefits to remaining sick? Or the evolutionary disadvantages to becoming well?

I am sure the physicalist can concoct some elaborate theoretical reason to remain untroubled by such questions but in doing so, aren't they modifying Natural Selection to mean survival of the non-fittest?

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