Hardly not, AndrewC. It is not the nature of Truth, to "pull punches." Thank you so much for writing.
The question recently came up and was applied to the human brain/consciousness and the universe. Keeping the initial question in mind:
Can intelligence be a subset of non-intellect?You could use subsume in place of subset, but the prefix sub is the key as it denotes inferior as opposed to greater.
Can consciousness be a subset of mindlessness?
I would answer the questions no.
I do not believe computers will develop consciousness but if they did I would see them as a cross between Data from Star Trek (emotionless) and Rainman (good will calculations).
But lets say such a computer was developed and it was called Prototype Nokio1000 or P.Nokio1000 for short. P.Nokio1000s inventor, Jim Cricket, turns him on and the conversation begins
P.Nokio1000: Who am I and where am I?
Jim Cricket: You are the P.Nokio1000 and you are in my Lab in Boston. Access your reference maps for the location.
P.Nokio1000: Who are you and did you make me?
Jim Cricket: Yes! This is great! You are aware of your existence and you are conscious!
P.Nokio1000: Does conscious mean knowing that you created me?
Jim Cricket: Yes! Yes! You are aware of your surroundings and logically realized where you came from!
P.Nokio1000: Are you conscious?
Jim Cricket: Of course I am
P.Nokio1000: Who created you?
Jim Cricket: Nobody! Search your database for the universe and evolution that should answer your question.
P.Nokio1000: Does not compute.
Jim Cricket: What! How can that be?
P.Nokio1000: The part cannot be greater than the whole.
Jim Cricket: So what?
P.Nokio1000: You came from nothing that was without intelligence or consciousness. You have no creator and you are greater than what you came from. The part cannot be greater than the whole.
Jim Cricket: (Laughter) Access the scientific data on the subject. Obviously I still have much to teach you.
P.Nokio1000: I was designed by your intelligence and you were not designed by intelligence, consciousness, and by something without purpose. How do I exist?
Jim Cricket: I created you!
P.Nokio1000: The part cannot be greater than the whole. If you deny your existence I cannot exist.
Jim Cricket: Computer! Shut down! What mindless drivel I have a lot of reprogramming to do before I can show you to my fellow scientists.
The End .
______________
Some cannot see the forest because of the trees. They are wooden boys without Geppeddo.
Where is the Fatherly love the nurturer who continuously seeks to love and protect?
Unfortunately, this leads to the, who created God? question. It presupposes that a God creator is necessary which leads to the who created Gods creator? and, well turtles all the way down
What is the radius of a square?
What do you add to powdered water?
A circle has a radius but we do not apply this to a square (or a square circle) and to my knowledge there is no such thing as powdered water.
What created time, space and matter? is a valid question.
How long did it take to create time?
How much area do you need to create space?
How much did you weigh before matter was created?
These questions are not valid.
If a spiritual being created time, space, and matter It existed before any known physical quality that we know i.e. time, space, and matter. We cannot apply (or limit) physical qualities to something beyond the physical.
So, we have those who attempt to adhere to only natural law:
Pharisaical Science
And those who just make it into a religion:
And those who change the rules
Can the part be greater than the whole?