Do we know that? For example, I am reasonably sure that my co-workers are unconscious most of the day. Nevertheless, consciousness is latent in their atomic structure. Atomic structure is amazingly uniform: there may be a few thousand possibilities, from hydrogen on up through all possible isotopes. We create laws as concepts to form concepts of matter, but atoms may or may not know of laws and they certainly don't act according to laws. Is there a law that describes infinite possibilities of combination, that describes everything from paramecia to galactic clusters? Atoms, in their supposed ignorance, create all these things. Who is to say atoms are unconscious? Who is to say the brain is the seat of consciousness? Sure, it's a popular thing to say, but a cop-out: begs the question.
Who is to say atoms are unconscious? Far be it from me to say so, RW!
Who is to say the brain is the seat of consciousness? Well again, not me, RW. But people like Lewontin, Dawkins, Hawking, Pinker, Dennett, et al., say that. Not to mention Ayn Rand.
Of course to say as much begs the question. That was my point.
It seems to me the amazing uniformity you note in atomic structure (i.e., the limited range of its possible expression, seemingly limited to a "few thousand possibilities" in terms of particles) has a possible analogue in the uniformity of the physical laws -- which Grandpierre suggests are mainly about conservation, and which all seem to go by the variational principle a/k/a the "principle of least action." Grandpierre notes in the cited article that the general tendency of the physical laws is to bring about a state of physical equilibrium.
Interestingly, he says that from the standpoint of a living organism, "physical equilibrium" is tantamount to "heat death" -- that it is the "death direction" of biological life that the organism must somehow overcome to maintain its own existence. I thought that was a fascinating insight. What do you make of it, RW?
That is just plain false. Matter does behave according to scientific laws. There are tons of them out there explaining the behavior of material things and the reason why we can be typoing to each other accross who knows how many miles is because those laws have enabled us to make the things which allow this communication. These laws are tested on a daily basis and they have been found to be true in numerous wasy. To say what you are saying is to say that science and all that has been built upon its fruits is just a hallucination.
I don't think you will convince many with such a viewpoint.