Immunity: detecting dangerous bacteria (Introduction)

by David Turell , Tuesday, December 05, 2017, 14:39 (2546 days ago) @ dhw
edited by David Turell, Tuesday, December 05, 2017, 14:45

DAVID: A fair assessment of your position, but it doesn't explain why we exist.

dhw: All three hypotheses explain why we exist, but you need blind faith to believe in any of them. Or do you mean for what purpose? If God exists, you will have to try to read his mind (which both of us have done). If he does not exist, I’d say our purpose is whatever we make it.

DAVID: Yes, I see purpose in the fact that we exist. WE are a very improbable result of blind chance. As for panpsychism, it is an obvious nod to a universe that appears to have consciousness. And the question raised is where did that come from?

dhw: And since you believe in God, you try to read his mind to find his purpose. Camels, whales, ants and eagles are also an improbable result of blind chance. Atheistic panpsychism does indeed assume consciousness in the universe, as a rudimentary bottom-up and evolving form, while the God theory assumes consciousness as a supreme top-down know-it-all-from-the beginning form. The philosophical get-out answer to your question where it came from is “first cause”, which can be applied to either form.

Which is a non-answer since first cause here is a blank slate. To me the presence of consciousness is critical, and demands an explanation, which cannot be found in the inorganic origin of the universe. Consciousness must require some sort of underlying organization since it must use a brain to appear, at least as we experience it.