X-Message-Number: 15927
Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2001 09:26:03 -0800 (PST)
From: Scott Badger <>
Subject: Re: Is consciousness only 3000 years old?

George Smith wrote:

> He described in some detail how numerous mental and
> behavioral activities do
> not require consciousness, drawing from research
> available up to that time
> and carefully defined consciousness as the arena of
> "internal" mental
> dialogue from which modern human beings derive
> decision making, free will,
> etc.  Jaynes conscludes that consciousness came as a
> function of language
> but was accidental and not evolutionary.  We didn't
> need to be conscious to
> survive.

Or maybe consciousness is the arena of "internal"
mental dialogue from which modern human beings derive
"the illusion" of decision making, free will, etc. But
that's another topic, sorta.

Though I haven't read the book, I've heard the
argument before. There hasn't been very much support
for his theory in the field has there? One question
that came to my mind was, "Does Jaynes suggest that
two hemispheres are required for consiousness? If so,
why do patients in split brain studies appear to still
be conscious? In fact, it was my understanding that
these studies suggest there are at least two minds
which work in concert, producing the illusion of a
unitary consciouness.

Secondly, how would these allegedly pre-conscious
humans appear to us. If I come upon a group of people
who have built a village and have a community and they
make and use tools, read and write, etc. ... how would
I know that they were unconscious?
 
Best regards,

Scott Badger

"Vita Perpetuem"

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