On naturalism and consciousness

[robvalue]

My opinion:

Consciousness is an illusionary side effect of the working of brains (and perhaps other things). I don't believe we have free will, I think we are just bound by the laws of physics. There's nothing different about us to anything else that makes us somehow able to "choose" when no one would claim that our individual atoms/quarks/whatever are actually making choices. (At least I don't think they would.)

My only "evidence" for this is that I feel more and more like an observer to myself. I don't take credit for what most of my body does, nor even most of what the brain does. I think the last little bit in the brain that seems like it's making choices is where all this comes in, but it's not real. I feel as if I am watching myself make choices, seeing what I will say next.

The fact that consciousness seems so real makes this hard to swallow, but it's my best guess for now pending more evidence.