From: nospam@me.invalid   
      
   theBeaver wrote:   
   > You missed the entire point.  Consider that a creature that   
   > _behaves_exactly the same as we behave could have evolved without   
   > consciousness.  I did _not_ say that consciousness did not evolve, I did   
   > not say that consciousnss does not have survival value, and I did not   
   > say that pain does not need to be felt.  Take a step back and ask   
   > yourself if self-awareness is really necessary:  Could evolution have   
   > created a non-self-aware creature, something that would behave exactly   
   > as we behave?  Something that responds similarly when the light from a   
   > predator impinges on its retina, or the aroma of food excites its scent   
   > glands, but without self-awareness.  Why not?  So why is there such a   
   > thing as self-awareness?  Why did it evolve?  Could humans create a   
   > machine that emulated human physiology, but made of silicon and copper,   
   > that would NOT have consciousness?   
   >   
   As higher animals all seem to exhibit conciousness to some degree, it   
   seems likely that conciousness gives a survival advantage.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)