Intentionality and the functioning of matter argument

An object may not have intentionality or aboutness but the functioning of matter can and does produce intentionality. A functioning change can be about another functioning change. A functioning change in the brain can be about another functioning change in the brain. The firing of a neuron in the eye can be about the photon that stimulated its firing. The firing of another neuron can be about the firing of the first photon stimulated neuron firing. A third neuron firing can be about the second neuron firing. A fourth neuron firing can be about the second and third neuron firing and about the first neuron NOT firing. There is no need for a "[soul]]"for the functioning brain to produce intentionality.

From the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy:

“What are you thinking of?” and “What are you thinking about?” Intentionality is the aboutness or directedness or reference of mind (or states of mind) to things, objects, states of affairs, events. So if you are thinking about San Francisco, or about the cost of living there, or about your meeting someone at Union Square—your mind, your thinking, is directed toward San Francisco, or the cost of living, or the meeting in Union Square.

What a human thinks about is not actual things but a changing functioning grouping of neurons in the brain that produces a consciousness. The brain sees this complex structure and functioning as an object, state of affairs, events, etc. There can be many aboutnesses produced by the brain about how the brain is structured and then functions. The way the brain is structured and then functions gives a reality for us humans that is helpful for our survival and reproduction. The brain does not contain things and objects etc., that it sees, feels etc. The brain can produce actions that are in coherence with a reality that it creates by it structure and functioning of neurons and related matter in the brain.

The structure and functioning of the brain produces intentionality without any mind substance. The functioning of a brain is independent of the brain because the brain can exist without it functioning in such a way as to produce consciousness. When you are dead the brain still exists but produces no intentionality of consciousness. The brain can function and still produce no intentionality as in the case of comas, brain injury, anesthetics and other drugs.

The neurons through their functioning without a mind substance or soul can produce intentionality. The more complex the structure and functioning of the brain is, the more complex the concepts, objects, things, etc., ---- intentionality, the functioning brain can produce. The more complex the structure and functioning of the brain is, the more complex the intentionality that it produces can and often will be. The brain "sees" its brain functioning it does not see reality. However, the more predictive this created picture of reality is the more likely a person is to survive and reproduce, thus passing on genes to future generations that create these types of predictive functioning brains.

We know how the brain produces consciousness and intentionality. It is produced the same conceptual way that a television produces a TV show. When you look inside a television you do not see the TV show. Very special devices and transformation of information have to be set up to see the show on a screen with speakers. The television can be functioning and producing information without it ever converted to a viewable TV show. Does a television produce intentionality? It produces one show and not another TV show. But some one might say it is directed by the signal that it receives from the antenna or a recording device. The brain is also directed by the information coming in from the senses. The brain is a much more complex information processing device that a television set and it is electronic not biological. But both are physical and follow physical laws.