(May 24, 2017 at 11:47 pm)Whateverist Wrote: Neo, I think you have to decide whether you're interested in understanding consciousness or interested in constructing an understanding which you think would have the most social utility.
Why can it not be both? Is it not important for making good decisions to know what is true? If our concepts about what it means to be human are false then our choices will reflect that. To know what is best for humanity it helps to understand what it means to be human. The way I see it, if the consequences of an idea undermine human dignity then a little extra scrutiny seems wise. If extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence then that would include claims that come at great cost like denying many of those things that make life worth living such as values, meaning, autonomy, and personal identity.
