Consciousness As Software

Last updated on: November 16, 2023 at 3:57 pm by C. Don Jones

Consciousness As Software 2023-11-16T15:57:48-06:00 C. Don Jones

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Downloaded by Robert J. Sawyer is some light sci-fi that asks the question, “Where is consciousness? What qualifies a piece as science fiction is the story is driven by a scientific or technological problem. The story answers the question that mind and brain are dual. The brain is subject to Newtonian physics whereas the mind is constantly moving on the quantum level. If the mind stops moving, it dissipates. The bodies of the characters are in suspended animation while the mind is uploaded into a quantum computer. They are “resurrected” 500 years later. While the story treats the consciousness of each person as separate from the software of the computer, it is hard to understand why it is.

Models of Consciousness

Natural philosophers and scientists explain consciousness is terms of the technology of the era in which they live. The mind or spirit has been compared to fire, running water, and clockwork. The comparison made to computers has been both as hardware (the opening and closing of circuits in various orders) and software (which guides the opening and closing of circuits in various orders). If the software model holds true, the mind can be downloaded into any brain without any significant loss of function. The Downloaded has a transgender character that helps the plot move along well. Sawyer’s story could have been about how the different minds fought for dominance in the quantum computer or overrode its AI. But, thankfully, it does not do this.

And yet, there is a problem of thinking about the mind as software. How is it written or coded? What exactly makes the program work?

The Problem

We know brain damage may cause changes in personality. It can also cause problems with problem-solving, reactions, and perception. Care-givers for dementia patients watch the personality almost disappear. Yet, the disease is the brain and its effects can be seen on the brain. So, the model of consciousness as software is problematic.

One solution offered is worrisome.

The Illusion of Consciousness

A solution to the problem of what and where is consciousness is to claim consciousness is an illusion. Here is an example of lazy thinking. Descartes’ famous statement, “I think therefore I am,” is denied here. Saying I think therefore I have been fooled into thinking I am begs the question of why I think at all. Descartes began assuming his own existence and being. And the problem for all questions about consciousness may lie in the Western idea of the individual person.

Humans process information rapidly and in more complex ways than any other animal. What we have fooled ourselves into thinking is that a human must exist who does this better than anyone else. We believe someone – without necessarily knowing who – can claim the title smartest person in the world. But this is the result of looking at human beings as individuals. Homo Sapiens (the man that thinks) is used to name an entire species as though it is an individual. It trips up our discussion of consciousness.

Humans As Communicators

We talk therefore we are. Human beings possess consciousness because we communicate. Isolated human beings tend toward maladjustments as though they suffer mild dementia or brain damage. We are neither the only animal that communicates nor processes information. But we have developed communication in many complex forms and thereby greatly increased our knowledge and our skills. Consciousness is a matter of community which is why it is intangible. Consciousness is between people.

Consider what would happen if we encountered intelligent extra-terrestrials. How would we know they are intelligent without a means of communication? We would claim such creatures were people or beings once we communicated with them. Many people grow to think of their pets as persons because they talk to their pets as though they communicate. We may call it consciousness or awareness. But it is because we talk to one another.

Previous Post

November 13, 2023

The Charlatans Will Always Be With You

Next Post

November 21, 2023 Gift And Gratitude Revisited

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Addiction Advent Afghanistan Anxiety Ascension Sunday Baptism Barack Obama Biblical Interpretation Bigotry Book Banning BSA Buddhism Choice Christmas Church Discipline Community Conscience Conspiracy theories COVID-19 Culture Wars death cults deconstruction Devotional Divine Judgment Donald Trump Earth Day Election Day empathy Environmentalism Evangelism Exploitation of the Poor Faith False Claims fascism Fear Forgiveness Genocide government Grace Gun Violence Halloween Hate Health Hillbilly Elegy Hindu Holy Communion Holy Week Homelessness Hope Identity Integrity Islam Joe Biden John Hagee Kamala Harris Labor Lent Liberation Theology Lies Love Love as action Neurological disorders Non-Christian Religions Online Worship Original Goodness Pandemic Peace Pentecost Philosophy Preaching Progressive Christianity Racism Redemptive Violence Myth Resentment Saint's Days Satire Sobriety social media Spiritual Self Care Spirituality Technology The Kingdom of God The United Methodist Church Theology Transfigurations Sunday Transgender persons Truth Uncategorized Violence Wesleyan Working Class

Select a Month September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 March 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 September 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 January 2025 October 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 October 2018 September 2018 July 2018 February 2018 January 2018 August 2017 May 2017 November 2016 July 2016 June 2016 November 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 January 2015 November 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 June 2013 March 2013 February 2013 December 2012 August 2012 July 2012 May 2012 February 2012 December 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is the main Christian church in Armenia?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Greek Orthodox Catholic Church Coptic Church Armenian Apostolic Church