(December 26, 2018 at 1:53 am)zainab Wrote: If consciousness is a product of evolution, how can we trust its outputs?
Do not we live in a bubble .. Illusion of knowledge?
Well, consider the fact that in order to survive, the senses have to give data that is at least somewhat reliable and that the brain has to process that data in such a way that the conclusions are correct, at least to the extent that they impact on differential survival.
What that means is that we can relay, at least to some extent, about our perceptions on ordinary, human, scales of distance and time and in those contexts where the information would be related to survival.
On the other hand, we know of a great number of optical illusions, where our visual system gives incorrect conclusions. The same is true for other sensory modalities. In other words, our perceptions *cannot* be trusted in every detail and in every situation.
Also, in spite of what many say, logic is not very natural for us humans. We very often derive conclusions that are logically incorrect, but close enough for survival benefits. We tend to see faces in clouds, purposeful behavior in computers, and attribute creaks in wood to active agents. There are good evolutionary reasons for our illogic in many cases.
What this means ultimately is that we need to take all of our ideas as tentative and as expressing possibilities, not as being absolute and certain. We need to test each and every one of our assumptions to make sure they work in actual practice and continue to work in new situations. Inductive reasoning is NOT certain, but it is usually good enough when enough testing is done.
