Natural Selection Seems Insufficient

[Belacqua]

Have you read David Bentley Hart's book All Things are Full of Gods?

This is a strange and fascinating book about the relation of mind and matter. Oddly, it is written as a dialogue among several Greek gods, but these are gods who are fully up to date with the work of Daniel Dennett and David Chalmers and other more recent theorists on mind. 

After running through just about every known theory on the subject, the majority of the gods conclude that mind must be prior to matter. The idea that mind emerges when matter reaches a certain level of complexity turns out to have several difficulties. It's too detailed and elaborate to summarize here, but even if you disagree you come away from it much better informed. 

Hart is a Christian but he makes no arguments that are specifically Christian. His conclusions about mind being fundamental are compatible with ancient Indian thought as well, and with some modern scholars who are not with any religion.

As for the words in bold, I hope you don't see that as my view. That kind of reductionism is what I am arguing against. I don't believe in "emergent consciousness" but only in innately conscious matter.

I understand, I think.

I mentioned the Hart book because he also rejects "emergent consciousness."