If you're human (and you probably are if you're reading this), then you probably think you're in control of your actions, you know what you're doing and that you're a word conscious. After all, we humans have language and culture, we plan our actions, we have morals, we have religion. we have technology, we care for other people, to doubt that we have something so.. fundamental as consciousness seem to be silly or out-of-this-world, or is it?
Well, for one thing most of (if not all) of the things mentioned above that might convince one of their own consciousness are in fact, very much practiced by our dear friends from the animal kingdom. Monkeys have been known to have different calls when different predators appear, warning each other of their danger, dolphins use their supersonic sound abilities to communicate, ants use chemical/hormonal signals to convey messages to each other (language). Culture is found in various primate species and monkeys, one famous example is in japan when researchers feed monkeys sweet potatoes on the beach. One of the monkeys discovered that the sand can be gotten rid of by washing the potato is water, and soon after all the monkeys were doing it. Birds migrate in advance to avoid unpleasant weather (planning). Vampire bats regurgitate blood for their fellow non-related bat mates when they have extra blood (morality). Chimps use sticks to catch ants and leaves as cups (technology). There are a thousand other examples for any of the above, the point is, what we often consider as distinctively "human" behavior, is in fact, quite apparent in in the animal kingdom. If we're conscious, then they're conscious. We're just (arguably) "consciouser".
Imagine the simplest of microorganisms, perhaps a photosynthesizing bacteria. One can imagine a gene appearing in the population, causing the bacteria to sway their flagellum or whatever when not in presence of light. Such a gene would have a very simple mechanism. Maybe the gene encode for the creation of a protein that causes the flagellum to sway when photosynthesis isn't going on. Such a gene would easily flourish in the population, because by swaying their flagellum in the dark, the bacteria with the gene would have a better chance of being in a position to photosynthesize, and thus living and reproducing. Okay, now imagine another gene that makes the said bacteria not only sway their flagellum in the dark, but in fact, guides the bacteria towards the light. This gene would obviously flourish, due to the same logic as above. Now, did the bacteria just evolved more consciousness?
I can just hear the cries of protest after the last sentence. But the bacteria doesn't KNOW what it's doing, it doesn't KNOW that by moving towards the light it would survive better! It just does because it's in its genes! Obviously human desires, wants, behavior, actions are not merely a set of reproductively successful genetic codes!
Of course, it is only obvious until you really think about it. First off, one must acknowledge that we, humans, indeed have needs and corresponding uncontrollable (and thus quite unconscious) feelings. Among these feelings are hunger, thirst, sexual desire, avoidance to cold/heat etc etc.. No (sane and/or knowledgeable) person disputes that these feelings have a genetic basis, if you don't eat, don't drink, stay in the cold/heat too long you die. If your dad and/or your mum did not have sexual feelings, you wouldn't be here.
Oh, so true.
Only problem here is, people very often use their very conscious brain to fulfill their above unconscious desire. Guys try to impress girls, everyone works for food and clothing, etc etc.
So our very conscious mind is in fact, being constantly used to fulfill our very unconscious desires. The natural follow up argument after this, is of course, that not all our feelings are for fulfilling such desires. How would, for example, something like sacrificing yourself for your family be unconscious?
Self-sacrificing acts for others is generally termed altruism. Now, how can such an act be caused by our subconscious? After all, genes don't care about our human ideals and values. Truthfully, they do not. What they do care about, however is making copies of themselves through you not dying, having sex, and ensuring other copies of themselves get to survive and be copied. Many times altruism confuse people, how would such a trait evolve, if it were not good for one's survival? Perhaps it's a purely moral act, one that's conceived by our conscious minds? Or not. The fallacy lies in the mistake that organism themselves are being selected for, when it is essentially the genes. Think of it this way, a son/daughter has half their genes from their mother and half from their father. When a father dives into a burning building to save a son, he is essentially putting himself at calculated (not consciously!) risk of putting himself in danger to save half of his genes. Obviously, genes that help copies of themselves would survive and proliferate.
Think that's freaky? Consider the split brain experiment done by psychologists. The severing of the right brain of the left brain is done to treat epilepsy patients. Normally, even though their right brains and left brains aren't connected, these people are able to function just as any other normal humans. To quote from wiki:
"A patient with a split brain, when shown an image in his or her left visual field (that is, the left half of what both eyes see), will be unable to name what he or she has seen. This is because the speech-control center is in the left side of the brain in most people, and the image from the left visual field is sent only to the right side of the brain. (Those with the speech control center in the right side will experience similar symptoms when an image is presented in the right visual field.) Since communication between the two sides of the brain is inhibited, the patient cannot name what the right side of the brain is seeing. The person can, however, pick up and show recognition of an object (one within the left overall visual field) with their left hand, since that hand is controlled by the right side of the brain."
The cool part? When they showed a command to walk to the right brain (the one that couldn't do language), the patient started walking. When asked why he started walking, the patient said he was thirsty and was going to grab a drink, and sincerely believed it. What if all our actions are caused by something unconscious like our dear patient? Perhaps the command might not be from a researcher, but our genes. Maybe we do things before we think we know why we do them.
So, again,
How conscious are you?
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