Why shouldn't we have evolved as automata which do everything we do without consciousness? What's the survival benefit of consciousness per se?
2007-01-20 08:37:00 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
You folks aren't getting it. If the brain is simply a mechanism, all the things you're talking about could go on perfectly well without consciousness.
2007-01-20 08:47:48 · update #1
"Consciousness has no scientific meaning" -- wow, the only piece of immediate and unquestionable evidence, the medium through which all your observations are made, and you say it has no meaning in terms of your system. Isn't that revealing?
2007-01-20 08:55:36 · update #2
I asked the same of human emotions, and I got a thousand answers regarding chemical reactions in the brain, but none to explain why those reactions developed. Logic just wont work on those people dude.
2007-01-20 08:43:07 · answer #1 · answered by ? 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Don't be too sure that there is one.
Evolution does NOT say that there is an evolutionary advantage to every characteristic that we have. There are nonconcious species that have survived many times as long as man has so far. After three million years of mankind, we have about 97 million years to go before we can claim to have been as biologically successful as certain species of shark.
I often think that sexual reproduction and consciousness are two characteristics that do NOT go well together.
That being said, there is the ability to anticipate consequences, as mentioned above, as well as the ability to communicate and therefore learn from the experiences of others. Consciousness combined with language dramatically changes how evolution works - that ability to learn from mistakes that have killed others makes a HUGE difference.
2007-01-20 16:42:08 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Well, a lot of "what we do" actually IS automated. We have all kinds of bodily functions that we have no concious control over. PLANTS are actually running on pure "automation" without the conciousness.
Beleive me...you'll understand the advantages to conciousness by observing something falling from the sky and being able to appreciate the fact that you have the ability to PERCEIVE it and move out of the way. Plants can't do that.
ps to asker...then what exactly is the "power source"? all that is done is regulated and controlled by the brain...otherwise, nothing would "work".
2007-01-20 16:43:31 · answer #3 · answered by bradxschuman 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It gave us art, literature, engineering, religion.
Through literature, you can learn things from someone you've never met. Knowledge is preserved across generations!
Think about it... the other hominids who did not have an integrated consciousness are now all extinct. We probably kicked b-tt on the Neanderthals.
Even our predecessors have given way to us -- heirs to agriculture.
2007-01-20 17:43:03 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think perception -the ability to consider and evaluate many different types of information at one time is a massive advantage to a species that hunts to survive.
2007-01-20 16:41:41 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Gosh, I wonder...ever seen a monkey driving a grain combine or building a city?
A certain amount of intellect is necessary to invent new tools. Even more intellect is necessary to establish a culture; one must understand your goals relative to the goals of another, which also means awareness of self.
2007-01-20 16:40:41 · answer #6 · answered by Mr. NoneofYourbusiness 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Being able to adapt as individuals to our environment An animal without consciousness tends to repreat disadvantageous behavior if it is hard-wride. Therefore, if the environment changes, the animal can't cope because it can't adapt its behaivor.
2007-01-20 16:41:38 · answer #7 · answered by mullah robertson 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Our memories. Being able to tie events together in order to prevent our destruction or prolong our survival. So we can find the shadiest trees with the biggest fruits and stay there.
Oh hell I'll just say it: I don't know what the hell happened to get from point A to point B. I believe there is a god, but I don't know where the first one came from.
2007-01-20 16:40:28 · answer #8 · answered by Atlas 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Since the word "consciousness" has no real scientific meaning, as we don't yet understand what it means, the question is moot.
2007-01-20 16:48:50 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Frankly, I think certain amounts of intelligence distract from the aims of biological fitness. Sophisticated aesthetic pleasure, beyond sexual desire, for example, might very well get in the way.
2007-01-20 16:45:04 · answer #10 · answered by Aspurtaime Dog Sneeze 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋