(October 28, 2012 at 3:38 pm)MysticKnight Wrote: DoubtvsFaith, well I think life is general is complex. But consciousness is obviously a whole different level of complexity then a cell for example. But what I mean is that A to B change is complex to a great degree. It's not like adding the penny in the analogy of Rhythm. We know consciousness is complex from perspective of naturalism. If you go spiritually, maybe natives are right, maybe everything has consciousness. All atoms, our clothes, etc. You need a sophisticated system from the naturalism perspective. It is very complex with many parts working together to produce a conscious. Sure you can have a complex biological being that is non-conscious, but it doesn't seem that it can give concsiousness to it's offspring by one step of random mutations. Sure it can have a complex sensory system with no consciousness, but then some random mutations, are not going to somehow produce concsiousness. This is because there is a significant gap between a conscious entity and non-conscious entity and I have to disagree with that it can possible be a insignificant gap between the two.
At least this seems to be the case.
Is there a significant gap? What qualifies as 'conscious'? Could, perhaps, a 'non-concious' entity evolve into an entity that is only vaguely aware of its surroundings? It all depends on what conscious is deemed to be; how well integrated must the senses of an organism be to call it conscious? It is difficult to draw a line between a human and an ape, but we know that humans are different from lower primates. We also know that this transition occured solely becasue of evolution. Take said primates, for instance, are they conscious? One would conclude that they are (unless you are going by a seriously different definition than I am). How about dogs? One would also be inclined to think thay are conscious as well, but where do we draw the line? We know that there a non-conscious entities and conscious ones. We also know that the non-conscious entities evolved into conscious ones (unless you are a creationist). So, what does this tell us, then? (not rhetorical)
John Adams Wrote:The Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.