What do you think about laws of physics and the emergence of conscious thought?

To quote another flutterer, “blah blah blah.”

Postmodern babble.

Science and spirituality don’t conflict. Science and ignorance conflict. Spirituality is a subject of scientific study and it does just fine. Just so we are clear, I see spirituality as the sense of feeling connected with the universe; or feeling oneness. Science has access to that feeling in a measurable way. Science is also totally on board with the practical aspects involved in showing how everything is connected to everything else.

I suspect there is a lot more research done in this area than you have knowledge of. However, I will agree, that just as in every area of study, we are barely scratching the surface.

As to the origins of consciousness, again, there is a lot of research about that. Look up Julian Jaynes work, for one.

@wundayatta I’ll definitely give Jaynes novel a read. I’m interested in the fact that it seems we are hovering from evolving for survival, to evolving for desires and fantasies. Hope she tackles some of that!

OP: I think the former does not explain the latter. Until someone can explain to me why we are not just robots made of meat, with no first-person experience at all, I will reject materialism/physicalism. Consciousness is a dimension of our existence which so far has not been explained in physical terms.

I can think of a possible answer to the above problem, but it involves free will, and most materialists are also determinists and so would not like it.

If you’re serious about this and not just looking for lurve I can give you a detailed answer but personally I wish you would have asked this question in the general section to avoid the trolls on here who would hijack this thread.

@Paradox25: If you are including me in your mention of putative trolls, note that I am quoting the OP from his earlier question. He use this breezy and unhelpful phrase in his details.

Yup. I was going to post more or less the same thing, but then I would be feeding the troll.

Actually, I think about this question sometimes. The connection between matter (the laws of physics) and consciousness just doesn’t make sense. How does matter, arranged in certain complex patterns, become aware of itself?

The simple answer: It can’t!

Consciousness can’t be a process or an algorithm. An algorithm is a series of discreet steps like:

a = 0;
while (a < 10) {
a = a + 1;
document.write (‘a=’, a);
}

Each statement does not cause consciousness. So stringing many statements together will not cause consciousness.

A possible explanation is that all matter is conscious to some degree, but because most matter, such a rock, has no sensory inputs and no motor outputs, is “locked in.” But that’s a terribly frightening thought. And even so, what causes the connection between the conscious particle of matter that gives us each our self-awareness, and our senses and motor functions? Again, a conundrum.

@Paradox25 I was thinking about putting it in the General Section. But I thought people would mix in opinion with some good sources. Believe me, if I could have it my way, there’d be a “Science Section” “Art Section” etc… I’ve recently learned to not pay any attention to troll answers, I don’t even flag them anymore I just never take that user seriously.

@gailcalled Really? You’re going to throw another question I posted under the bus by your opinion? That “other” question is merely asking for a simple list of examples… Sorry you find it unhelpful.

I still just want to know if the OP is male or female.

@whitetigress: Sorry. I found the wording of the question very confusing and I felt that quoting you wasn’t so terrible. “Blah blah blah” is either acceptable or not…no waffling.

The intellectual development of homo sapiens has, indeed, been, amazing.

@zensky – As a certain feminist amongst our ranks would ask, what difference does it make whether the OP is male or female?

I didn’t say it matters.

I believe that he is a male in his early twenties. Somewhere he discusses a fiancé and a possible upcoming wedding. I am doing this from memory so don’t take it as gospel.

I don’t see why he/she avoids my question. Even if he is transgender and gay – he’d be in good company here. What I don’t understand is why he writes/seems male – and chose a feminine name/avatar. And a female skeleton with a hat is just – well – strange.

PM him.

He has seen this and all the other times I’ve asked. He can ignore me – I don’t care enough.