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Actually, philosophers who think that there's something special about consciousness (i.e. it can't be explained by structure and dynamics, but might be due to a
by lg 18y ago
Actually, philosophers who think that there's something special about consciousness (i.e. it can't be explained by structure and dynamics, but might be due to another fundamental physical property that the scientific community has so far ignored) don't think that only humans are conscious. David Chalmers once described how thermostats might have a dim form of it, although he just mentioned it as an unlikely possibility.
- graemep 18y agoSo do some physicists: http://chaos.swarthmore.edu/courses/phys6_2004/QM/19_CatsFriends.pdf http://chaos.swarthmore.edu/courses/phys6_2004/QM/19_CatsFri... The problem is a lack of tools to explore this further. Where are the testable predictions? The question also makes one mistake: the first neuron fires long before birth. Develop meant is a gradual process, so the emergence of consciousness probably is too.
- lg 18y agoWell I don't believe that you need to posit a fundamental consciousness-property to explain collapse. There are clearer explanations that rely only on what physicists (mostly) already accept, which David Albert explains well: http://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Mechanics-Experience-David-Albert/dp/0674741137 http://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Mechanics-Experience-David-Alb... But maybe you do need to posit that to explain things like thoughts and feelings.