Isn't consciousness a kind of big mystery? Why would people, even those without moral, feel remorse about bad things they do?
2007-06-30 16:06:22 · 9 answers · asked by geeks_gadgets 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Cognitive science does the best job of this.
It's no longer just a big mystery. We evolved our morals to live in social groups.
2007-06-30 16:10:10 · answer #1 · answered by skeptic 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Consciousness is simply a normal attribute of any entity with some ability to think, and some ability to sense surroundings. Many years ago, MIT professor Marvin Minsky proposed an interesting gedankenexperiment: how do you know that these words are coming from a human being, rather than a reasonably intelligent computer? And, if I am in fact a computer, and claim consciousness, can you say me nay?
2007-06-30 23:10:39 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Actually "consciousness" has been demonstrated in chimpanzees, gorillas and dolphins. I've seen dogs feel bad about doing something that they know they're not supposed to do. So humans don't have a monopoly on this.
2007-06-30 23:12:56 · answer #3 · answered by Stephen L 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Um. Don't you think it might have been an evolutionary disadvantage if people (and other animals) had the same feelings regardless of their actions, positive or negative? Don't you think that having people offing each other around the cave-fire over a couple of grogs might have put the kabosh on a fledgling species?
Or you don't "believe" in evolution?
2007-06-30 23:15:40 · answer #4 · answered by IGotsFacts! 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Psychiatry tries to do that, but not very successfully. The interesting thing about psychiatry is that its main theories of the mind were constructed not by a methodical scientific research, but sudden personal insights of Freud, Jung and others...
Psychology, despite the similarities, does not try to explain how a human mind works but is more interested in human behaviour on a personal level.
2007-06-30 23:11:54 · answer #5 · answered by Belzetot 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
neuroscience explains it in minute detail. Including the pathways that define right and wrong. Its all biologically hard wired. I think there are a number of people missing key elements in their neurological framework which gives rise to serial killers etc.
2007-06-30 23:11:51 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Psychiatry, psychology
and Neuroscience as demonstrated by MRI and PET scans.
2007-06-30 23:08:27 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
The definition of a clinical psychopath is one who DOESN'T feel regret or remorse.
Look up Pschology.
2007-06-30 23:10:53 · answer #8 · answered by Dark-River 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
What part of god explains evolution?
2007-06-30 23:08:43 · answer #9 · answered by spirenteh 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋