Consciousness
From PhiloWiki
Where did consciousness come from? What is it? Can consciousness give rise to a sense-of-self naturally?
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Christian views
From a Christian perspective it might be interesting to start this conversation from some Biblical scholarship. What does the Bible clearly say in this regard? Modern philosophy has not gone much beyond Decartes' "Cogito, ergo sum," which is generally seen as a philosophical bifurcation of reality that has not since been healed by either purely materialist views or religious/spiritualist/idealist views. The Bible seems to be at least clear on the claim of a single creation. When did this split in the creation come about? In answering this both sides either get lost in obscurantism or in simplistic appeals to dogma, scientific or religious. This split between consciousness and the physical is often seen in Christian views as a reflection of the split between good and evil. Consciousness as embodied in spirit/soul/divinity typically falls on the good side with materiality/physicality falling on the bad side. The material world is what leads us into sin and all that. A telling example is that even in Chrisitian theologies the ultimate evil spirit is seen as having fallen from the good, not as evil in and of itself, as would be the case for example in Zoroastrianism, where the good/evil split is pre-creation, an aspect of the creator himself. Biblically which split is primary? Good/evil or consciousness/physical, soul/body ?
Secondly a clarifiction of the question as to how we share in God's consciousness, or do we? Some Biblical perspective on this would be germane.
Other viewpoints
The Christian perspective leaves out must of the complexity of the evolution within the human species. If one is to take Christianity seriously, one has to believe that there is evil, damnation and sin. Doesn't it make far more sense to believe that the world is a beautiful and intriguing place that doesn't require a complete suspension of disbelief. The long time Harvard professor, Nicholas Humphery, expressed this idea in his recent book. Seeing Red. In it, he contends that, yes, human beings may have a soul, but that if they do, it is a direct result of enviornmental factors reflected in the progression of evolution. This makes far more sense in the long run.
Consciousness cannot be explained naturally [p 268] and must be explained by theism [p 80]. A purely physical consciousness cannot view the world through the first-person [p 255]. A person remains the same even if his consciousness changes [p 260]. Consciousness cannot evolve naturally [p 263]. A purely physical consciousness cannot be rational [p 265].
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Case for a Creator from Lee Strobel |
Secular views
The Chrisian perspective leaves out much of the complexity of life and evolution as it exists within human life. If one is to take Christianity seriously, it is necessary to believe that there is evil, damnation and "sin" everywhere in the world. Doesn't it make far more sense to believe that the world is a beautiful, intriguing place that requires no suspension of disbelief, as Christianity does. The long-time Harvard professor, Nicholas Humphery, expressed this idea in his recent book, "Seeing Red". In it, he contends that , yes, human beings may have a sour, but that, if they do, it is the direct resul to enviornmental and evolutionary factors. This agrument is far more coherent in the long run.
