XPost: alt.philosophy, alt.atheism   
   From: ralph@eddlewood.demon.co.uk   
      
   In message , Sir Frederick   
    writes   
   >   
   >>NICHOLAS HUMPHREY   
   >>Psychologist, London School of Economics; Author, The Mind Made Flesh   
   >>   
   >>I believe that human consciousness is a conjuring trick, designed to fool us   
   into thinking we are in the presence of an   
   >>inexplicable mystery. Who is the conjuror and why is s/he doing it? The   
   conjuror is natural selection, and the purpose has been to   
   >>bolster human self-confidence and self-importance-so as to increase the   
   value we each place on our own and others' lives.   
   >>   
   >>If this is right, it provides a simple explanation for why we, as scientists   
   or laymen, find the "hard problem" of consciousness   
   >>just so hard. Nature has meant it to be hard.   
      
   Even psychologists are usually classed as scientists. Anyone purporting   
   to be a scientist who attributes intentionality to "nature" should be   
   regarded with deep suspicion.   
      
   The reason that we find consciousness hard to understand is because we   
   have not had the tools to understand it, and because it IS hard.   
      
   Once upon a time we invented phlogiston to explain combustion, an   
   extremely simple phenomenon in comparison. This was thrown out when the   
   influence of oxygen was discovered. A similar discovery may make   
   consciousness seem simple - although I would not recommend holding your   
   breath.   
      
   --   
   ralph   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)