[Advaita-l] Materialistic "evolution" of Consciousness - 'Increment' cannot make changes of 'kind'

[Raghav Kumar Dwivedula]

Namaste

A two-minute-read summary of

https://medium.com/@doyouthinkihaveforgotten/evolution-and-the-problem-of-consciousness-ae0f67c3d2e2


Introduction:
The article explores the relationship between evolution and consciousness,
arguing that evolutionary theory cannot fully explain the emergence of
conscious experience.

The Limits of Evolution:
The author asserts that evolution is a process of incremental changes,
where small variations accumulate over time. However, this process is
insufficient to explain the emergence of consciousness, which is a
fundamentally different kind of phenomenon.

The Hard Problem of Consciousness:
Philosopher David Chalmers' formulation of the "hard problem" is discussed:
why do we have subjective experiences at all? The author argues that
evolutionary theory only addresses the "easy problems" of consciousness,
such as how the brain processes information, but fails to explain why we
have subjective experiences.

The Nature of Consciousness:
The author suggests that consciousness is not solely a product of complex
brain processes but a unique, non-physical aspect of reality. They propose
that consciousness may be a fundamental aspect of the universe, akin to
space, time, and matter.

The Problem of Emergence:
The author argues that consciousness cannot be reduced to its constituent
parts, and its emergence cannot be explained by incremental evolutionary
changes. They contend that evolution can only produce changes within a
given kind, not changes of kind.

The Implications:
The article concludes that a new perspective is needed to understand
consciousness, one that goes beyond evolutionary theory. The author
suggests that consciousness may be a fundamental feature of the universe,
unconnected to specific brains or bodies.

Critique of Materialism:

The author argues that materialism, which reduces consciousness to physical
processes in the brain, fails to account for the subjective nature of
experience.

1. Cannot explain the "what-it-is-like" aspect of experience: Materialism
can describe the neural correlates of consciousness but cannot explain why
we have subjective experiences at all.

2. Fails to account for the unity of consciousness: Materialism struggles
to explain how individual neural processes integrate into a unified,
coherent experience.

3. Cannot explain the intentionality of consciousness: Materialism fails to
account for how our experiences are directed towards objects and aspects of
the world.

4. Overlooks the fundamental difference between physical and conscious
properties: Materialism attempts to reduce conscious properties to physical
ones, ignoring their fundamental difference.

5. Lacks a clear explanation for the emergence of consciousness:
Materialism relies on vague notions of "complexity" or "integration" to
explain the emergence of consciousness, but these explanations are
unsatisfactory.

The author suggests that materialism's failures indicate that consciousness
cannot be reduced to physical processes alone and that a more profound
understanding of consciousness is needed, one that acknowledges its unique
and fundamental nature.