Different in degree or kind: Sapiens begin brain use (Introduction)

by dhw, Saturday, October 15, 2016, 13:34 (2748 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: The larger brain allows better use of the consciousness it receives, not making a larger consciousness. The enlarged use is learned throughout life as we develop our own personalities and experiences. Plasticity is part of the process. Each step in human evolution developed more and more use of consciousness as the brain expanded.

dhw: Generally agreed, except that if you are a dualist, I think you need to reconstruct your last sentence. The brain expanded as more and more use of consciousness developed each step in human evolution.

DAVID: No. Size first, use second. The need for more complex use of consciousness required the next evolved species to have a larger brain, (mainly frontal lobe)to fit that requirement. I say God changed the genome and you want intelligence in the genome to do it.

What do you mean by “use of consciousness”? I have tried to point out the implications of your dualism, according to which the brain does not give rise to consciousness but implements instructions given by consciousness. For a dualist the brain has to be the tool used by consciousness, not the tool that uses consciousness. And yes, I am suggesting the cell communities respond to the demands made by consciousness. You say God changed the genome in advance and that gave rise to new needs and opportunities (= humans learned how to use the new structure); I suggest (theistic version) that God gave organisms the means to change their genome in response to new needs and opportunities.