A Philosophical Dissertation on Consciousness

Introduction

The enquiry of what our consciousness is, or how or where it is produced, have been the topic of much philosophical inquiry over the past centuries. Some have got relied upon Negro spiritual conclusions, claiming that consciousness is one's psyche (though today, the term "soul" often intends one's emotional individuality). There are different claims across ancient civilization, offering the thought that the psyche bes in a physical portion of the body, be it the head, the heart, or the genitals. However, with the rise of science, there is a new attack to the inquiry of consciousness. The importance given to consciousness changes sometimes from individual to individual, from school of idea to school of thought. Some philosophers simply wonder at the complexness of the thing, sometimes almost reflectively. Just as some philosophers see it as a spectular thing that necessitates explanation, some philosophers see the inquiry of consciousness as an of import underyling factor in their full philosophy.

For example, as a Vegetarian, I make not actively prosecute in any activity which do suffering or unwanted decease to a conscious being. Naturally, since I have got this philosophical conception of rights, I desire to understand this scientific conception of consciousness. Sometimes I am asked whether I would see the rights of a plant, bacteria, or an insect. To these three organisms, I have got no trouble answering. A works and bacterium make not incorporate a consciousness, whereas grounds propose that insects have got a kind of consciousness. But whether or not I am right or incorrect in such as a response, I will always say, "I see the rights of conscious beings. None others." If they inquire into which organsms are conscious and if I make not know, I react that the inquiry of consciousness is one of science, not one of philosophy. As far as how consciousness works, I make not know. I only trust to supply inquiries that I have got thought of endlessly, with no conclusion. To cite Scientific American about a story of Neuroscientists...

"Koch, 44, directs the calculation and neural systems programme at Caltech. He arrived here in 1986, a time when consciousness research was still considered calling suicide even for constituted encephalon researchers. But high-profile attention to the topic by Nobelists Gerald M. Edelman and Francis Crick, coupled with advances in functional encephalon imaging, have got elevated the field--and its investigators--to respectability.

"Neurobiologists have since given up the impression that Robert Koch may be dangerously offbeat, despite his having tattooed his arm last summertime with the Apple Computer logotype to show his love of the Mackintosh (a ardor not even matched by Steve Jobs). The neuroscientist takes about 20 research workers and phone calls their missionary post to explicate consciousness 'one of the major unsolved jobs of modern science.'" [Scientific American, July, 2001.]

Consciousness According to Science...

Brain...

"All thoughts, emotions, sensations, movements, and desires have got their beginnings in encephalon processes. Without a operation brain, the human beingness is reduced to a vegetative state, not able to execute any actions or pessos any feelings, and left without he ability even to change bodily work in rseponse to change. While this article will see the human brain, which is more than composite and highly developed than that of any other animal, the encephalons of all mammels, and indeed most vertebrates, are remarkably similar.

"The cardinal nervous system is composed of the encephalon and the spinal anesthesia cord. The nervousness that supply the remainder of the organic structure are attached to the encephalon and sinal cord and include the motor nerves, which trip muscels, and the centripetal nerves, which convey information into the cardinal nervous system. In addition, the nervousness that supply the internal variety meat are establish outside the encephalon and spinal cord." [Collier's Encyclopedia, under "Brain."]

Morality...

"Many animals, however, certainly sympathise with each other's distress or danger. This is the lawsuit even with birds. Captain Stansbury establish on a salt lake in Beehive State an old and completely unsighted pelican, which was very fat, and must have got been well fed for a long time by his companions. Mr. Blyth, as he informs me, saw Indian gloats feeding two or three of their comrades which were blind; and I have got heard of an correspondent lawsuit with the domestic cock. We may, if we choose, phone call these actions instinctive; but such as lawsuits are much too rare for the development of any particular instinct. I have got myself seen somes dog, who never passed a true cat who put ill in a basket, and was a great friend of his, without giving her a few salt licks with his tongue, the surest mark of sort feeling in a dog." [The Descent of Man, by Prince Charles Darwin, chapter 4, portion I.]

Pain and Suffering...

"When animate beings endure from an torment of pain, they generally writhe about with frightful contortions; and those which habitually utilize their voices arrant acute shouts or groans. Almost every musculus of the organic structure is brought into strong action. With adult male the oral cavity may be closely compressed, or more than commonly the lips are retracted, with the dentition clenched or land together. There is said to be "gnashing of teeth" in hell; and I have got plainly heard the grinding of the grinder dentition of a moo-cow which was suffering acutely from redness of the bowels. The female river horse in the Zoological Gardens, when she produced her young, suffered greatly; she incessantly walked about, or rolled on her sides, gap and shutting her jaws, and clattery her dentition together. With adult male the eyes stare wildly as in horrified astonishment, or the foreheads are heavily contracted. Perspiration bathes the body, and driblets dribble down the face. The circulation and internal respiration are much affected. Hence the anterior nariss are generally dilated and often quiver; or the breath may be held until the blood stagnates in the violet face. If the torment be terrible and prolonged, these marks all change; arrant heat exhaustion follows, with fainting or convulsions." [The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, by Prince Charles Darwin, chapter 3.]

Consciousness: What I Make Not Know...

As far as assorted philosophical ideas go, I have got often been hesitating to print ideas without first determination a decision (one, of course, based on grounds and Reason). However, as much as Iodine thought on the subject of consciousness, the more than than Iodine believe the more I go convinced that lone science, demonstration, and observation, could detect the replies to my questions. The following is an enquiry concerning consciousness...

Our brains, like all other physical things, is composed of matter. In this sense, it is composed of different atoms, such as as Carbon and Nitrogen, interlocking to constitute structures. The constructions of the encephalon give it the capableness of consciousness. The inquiry I am presenting is not how consciousness can arrise from basic elements, but how reliant on upon the molecules consciousness is. The Atomic Theory can be defined as follows: the theory that all substance is composed of atoms, and that all atoms are composed of simple structures, including protons. All protons are incredibly similar in structure, and an atom's individual is defined by the figure of protons it has. A Hydrogen atom, for example, have 1 proton. A Helium atom differs from a Hydrogen atom in that it have 2 protons. Carbon have 4 protons. Iron have 77 protons. Gold have 79 protons. Silver have 47 protons. Uranium have 92 protons. The difference between these elements differs in protons, and a proton alterations other factors. For each proton, there is a neutron. For each proton, there is an attractive force to another electron. One gold atom, though, will respond the same as any other gold atom, as long as statuses are the same.

Describing the Atomic Theroy is only a preliminary to the inquiry of consciousness. Since one Carbon atom responds the same as any other Carbon atom, what would go on if a Carbon atom in someone's encephalon was quickly replaced with a different Carbon atom? Since all Carbon atoms respond the same, the consciousness of the individual would not be altered. This would intend that their thoughts, their ideas, their emotions, their memories, and their personality would not change. Talking to them would not be like talking to an entirely different person. No alteration would be noticeable. But, what did change? It was only one eremitic atom. Still, the organ which bring forths conscious have one portion different.

It is of import to understand the different consciousnesses when examining this. I make not intend the many different consciousnesses within a single person, but with many people. For example, if one person's encephalon was entirely reconstructed to be identical, both people would be different entities. The first individual believes for themself, just like the 2nd person. But, importantly, they are different beings. The first is the first and the 2nd is the second. If one were to have got a thought, it would not give that idea to the other. By claiming that each encephalon is its ain entity, I intend that each is composed of its ain substance and bring forths its ain consciousness. When we change one Carbon atom, by switching it with another, we are changing the substance of the brain, though the designing stays changeless. The 1 atom changed. Would that average a different consciousness is produced? When I talk of a difference, I talk of entity. Would the consciousness alteration from the state it had before the new Carbon atom to the state after it had the new Carbon atom, this alteration being the same difference between the physical thing of consciousness existing between two different persons? WHat would go on if we replaced every atom in the encephalon with a new indistinguishable one? It would be a new existent consciousness, just acting the same, believeng the same, doing the same. The consciousness Acts the same, but it differes as an entity. You can have got two indistinguishable shoes, for example, but they are difefrent in that they are not made out of the same exact matter. The same inquiry bes with the encephalon and consciousness. The brain, an organ made of matter, bring forths the consciousness, but if the encephalon is altered by one indistinguishable atom, is consciousness different in entity?

Conclusions

I have got tried my best to offer a simple, apprehensible simplification of my thoughts on this subject. Perhaps, though, my thinking of the inquiry of consciousness is diluted by the thought that it is special, or perhaps it is impossible to do such as ideas accurately given what little we cognize of it, given the mediocre cognition obtained by science. Whatever the lawsuit may be, consciousness is consciousness, and I have got offered my inquiries and ideas on it.

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