If you want to know why

enfieldacademy
Thu, 26 May 2011 19:11:05 +0000

Also, a “language” of gestures, noises, and symbols has existed in some form well before humanity ever was.



right, the evolution of a “complex” language though, is what I mean. Which just means having enough elements, so vast rearrangement of them is possible I think (so you can have lots of words or concepts). Like you said, this takes some initial intelligence or consciousness, being able to devise such a system, and being able to contribute to it (come up with new words). Researches tried teaching certain chimpanzees language decades ago (first english, then english sign language) - neither attempt was very successful.



So you don’t think your consciousness is tied to your brain? If it is, then a different brain (through different DNA) would yield a different consciousness, no?



Yes I agree. Different DNA (or in fact the same DNA, but a different cell) would yield a different brain and consciousness.

Still, I think it’s quite possible I (or you) could have been born some other time. I mean how are we assigned to the brains we are (why do we perceive from the brains we do?). This is an open question; it can’t be dodged by saying - well, you are that person, and therefore couldn’t be anyone else. I think one can ask why you are that person without contradicting what we are agreeing to above (that consciousness is tied the brain, that each brain is the consciousness). So I don’t think what you brought up impacts what I mentioned here:



Now, imagine if trillions of people inhabited multiple planets, etc., in the future. Well that would make it quite unlikely that I (or you) would have been conscious now (it would be a lot more likely to be conscious in those future times).