It's spot on topic, actually. If a person believes that physics are subordinate to psychology since consciousness is the/a fundamental force or unit of the universe...and this is why they actually believe in gods.... then this speaks to how and why a given belief set then makes sense™ or..more accurately, fits within their web of beliefs. Consciousness, then, cannot be evolutionary or mechanistic. I say cannot in the sense of whether a person with that web of beliefs can accept it, mind you, not whether it accurately reflects reality.
You'll find it very easy for me to believe that evolutionary biology determined the nature of our consciousness as the function or range of biological machinery. If our brains can make it, though, it stands to reason that any comparable structure could as well, whether it's of biological or evolutionary origin or not. Bernoulli's principle explains why birds and planes fly, for example, and it makes little sense (to me) to say that planes are only imitating flight or can only imitate flight. I think things fly or think insomuch as their structure and composition enables them to leverage underlying physics to similar effect. That's what I mean about quality rather than kind. Free will...whether we're talking classical free will or compatibilist volition, to bring this neatly together, would be just another function in a range of functions.
It's not that I'm opposed to the idea in principle. I would very much like to have me as much of that as possible. If it's a/the fundamental force or unit of the universe this is all a sideshow. Evolutionary biology isn't doing consciousness and volition, consciousness and volition are doing evolutionary biology.
You'll find it very easy for me to believe that evolutionary biology determined the nature of our consciousness as the function or range of biological machinery. If our brains can make it, though, it stands to reason that any comparable structure could as well, whether it's of biological or evolutionary origin or not. Bernoulli's principle explains why birds and planes fly, for example, and it makes little sense (to me) to say that planes are only imitating flight or can only imitate flight. I think things fly or think insomuch as their structure and composition enables them to leverage underlying physics to similar effect. That's what I mean about quality rather than kind. Free will...whether we're talking classical free will or compatibilist volition, to bring this neatly together, would be just another function in a range of functions.
It's not that I'm opposed to the idea in principle. I would very much like to have me as much of that as possible. If it's a/the fundamental force or unit of the universe this is all a sideshow. Evolutionary biology isn't doing consciousness and volition, consciousness and volition are doing evolutionary biology.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
