[ExI] evolution of consciousness

[Stathis Papaioannou]

On 12 February 2010 01:37, Gordon Swobe <gts_2000 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> --- On Wed, 2/10/10, Spencer Campbell <lacertilian at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> This is actually a very good point. I don't have clearly
>> articulate beliefs regarding the relationship between consciousness
>> and evolution, myself, but clearly Gordon does.
>
> I think consciousness aids and enhances intelligence, something like the way a flashlight helps one move about in the dark.
>
> Unconscious animals like amoebas exhibit a low level of intelligent behavior. Those instinctive behaviors are encoded by DNA. In higher organisms we see nervous systems, and we see how the resulting consciousness increases the intelligence and flexibility of the organisms.
>
> It seems probable to me that conscious intelligence involves less biological overhead than instinctive unconscious intelligence, especially when considering complex behaviors such as social behaviors. Perhaps nature selected it for that reason only.

But you have clearly stated that consciousness plays no role in
behaviour, since you agree that the brain's behaviour can be emulated
by a computer and the computer will be unconscious. The computer
doesn't have to be tricked up to behave as if it's conscious: all you
need do is follow the structural and functional relationships of the
brain, and the intelligence will emerge without (you claim) any of the
consciousness.


-- 
Stathis Papaioannou