(August 25, 2017 at 10:34 am)Khemikal Wrote: Implicit in the question is that consciousness and non consciousness cannot provide the same or similar advantages, and also that they are not equally representative of some larger set to which they both belong, is why..
Implicit in your objection to it then is the assumption that consciousness is a by-product, emergent phenomenon or an accident. Why assume this for consciousness and not for any other feature of the brain? We can point to the functionality provided by emotions, cognition, memory, action selection, sensory processing etc, why not also consciousness? Or are you arguing that it is a special case? If so, why?
Are you denying that we evolved consciousness? The more highly developed species generally show more signs of consciousness.
Consciousness did not evolve by accident. We have it for the advantage that it provides us, otherwise evolution would not have selected for it. So the question is, what is that advantage? What functionality does it provide?
You have already suggested some, for example creating social and sexual bonds. Although your example does raise the question of whether an organism can experience pain if it is not conscious. Does a non-conscious organism such as a sea slug or plant exposed to aversive stimuli experience pain or is pain only the conscious experience of aversive stimuli?
(August 25, 2017 at 10:34 am)Khemikal Wrote: It could be like asking what advantages flying as a dragon fly provides over flying as a sparrow.
No it's more like asking what are the advantages of being able to fly and walk rather than just walk.
Specifically, what are the advantage of being able to sense the environment and how you react to it rather than being a stimulus response agent?
