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Consciousness

Consciousness evolves in many non-human creatures not from pond-skippers to a fully conscious humanoid. Nor did humans spring from protista to vertebrates to mammals to Homo sapiens in one easy leap. Time and generations of living cells evolved until humans sit beside a fire with a friendly dog and cat and birds singing in the trees and snakes coming in for a sip of milk or for warmth. Each evolved according to its own patterns, not by magically being called into existence. This process depends on changes over time in each part of the tree of life.

There is no pre-planned purpose to human consciousness. What is, is.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tom Sarbeck on February 28, 2013 at 11:54am

"... he adamantly refutes this and claims they don't evolve, they adapt."

Yes, literalist Xianity requires its followers to be adept with language.

I used to question "survival of the most fit", preferring "survival of the most adaptable." When my understanding evolved to see "most fit" as "most fit in its niche", I stopped my quibbling.

Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on February 28, 2013 at 1:11pm

Sometime my "Reply" button works; sometimes it doesn't. My response to this comment is below.

Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on February 27, 2013 at 7:24pm

P.S. This quake zone map is for the past seven days
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/

Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on February 28, 2013 at 12:28pm

Tom Sarbeck, I like your distinction, "most fit in its niche". When a food source ends, perhaps by overconsumption, or by change in environmental factors, or a stronger competitor moving in, the possibility of adaptation and the probability of survival changes. Here we get into complexity again; there is not a simple creation of a creature by some supernatural power and that power watches over. Neither happens.

Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on February 28, 2013 at 1:53pm

Tom Sarbeck, why would "... he adamantly refutes this and claims they don't evolve, they adapt."
One adapts to weather change by wearing different clothing.
One evolves by growing hair to protect one from the cold.
One is the ability to make a choice, the other is genetic. Why does he refute evolution? Doesn't everyone think evolution is a fact? Oh! on second thought, NO!