Replies

The nature of consciousness, one of my favorite subjects. Consciousness is a link between my computer interests, my religious interests, and my scientific interests. I began my life as an agnostic scientist and as I explored the fringes of science I found science broke down. The places where science breaks down, is where the Bible reveals information that cannot be obtained by science.

A delightful book on consciousness is Douglas Hofstaedler's Godel, Escher, and Bach. He explores tangled hierarchies and recursive effects such as the Mandelbrot set. He also explains Godel's theorem that shows any logical set of rules, such as first order predicate logic, cannot reveal all truth. Just as the infinite set of rational numbers does not comprise all the points on a number line, so the rational deductions of science cannot arrive at all truth.

For further amusement, visit comp.ai.philosophy, a news group I have visited since 1993, when I first got on the Internet. From there, I learned of "epiphenomena", strong AI, weak AI, and the scorn heaped upon dualism. The trouble is, dualism best fits the facts we have. Roger Penrose has advocated some quantum effects in the brain causing the non-algorithmic behavior we see. He is also scorned.

Suffice it to say, I have concluded only a non-material element can explain the phenomomena of the human mind, specifically a spiritual element. That would be your further input that generates the free will we know and love--our ability to chose between alternatives. I was quite frustrated in my efforts to write a program or to imagine a program, that would be able to choose without input from any outside source--that effort lead me to better understand my own consciousness.

You were right Boris, to go back to Genesis for answers. In terms of the human mind, Genesis 1:26 is key: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." If one considers God as the ultimate Input to the Universe, than making man like God is to make him also an input--a source of creative originality, not seen from inputs to his life.

'.....a source of creative originality..."

RE Post #43; cudos on an excellent post! and the really beautiful thing you've illuminated is not a conclusion but a beginning; a source!

BTW bb--you're tremendous.

In terms of the human mind, Genesis 1:26 is key: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." If one considers God as the ultimate Input to the Universe, than making man like God is to make him also an input--a source of creative originality, not seen from inputs to his life.

Brilliant point!