From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!torn!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!mp.cs.niu.edu!rickert Mon Aug 24 15:41:02 EDT 1992
Article 6636 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: rickert@mp.cs.niu.edu (Neil Rickert)
Subject: Re: what is consciousness for?
Message-ID: <1992Aug18.161151.12316@mp.cs.niu.edu>
Organization: Northern Illinois University
References: <1992Aug17.171723.5599@spss.com> <Bt6K1u.Iyr@watdragon.uwaterloo.ca>
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 16:11:51 GMT
Lines: 19

In article <Bt6K1u.Iyr@watdragon.uwaterloo.ca> cpshelle@logos.uwaterloo.ca (cameron shelley) writes:
>
>This reminds me of a theory of culture I learned in anthropology as an
>undergrad.  One explanation of the function of culture is that it
>allows for adaptation to environment on a more rapid basis than
>genetic change.

>What does this have to do with consciousness?  Consciousness seems
>necessary to make culture work.  (In some sense, culture and genetics

While I agree with this assessment of culture, I would hesitate to say
that it can be used as an explanation of consciousness.  Certainly you
need consciousness for culture to work.  But in my view, consciousness
of some degree exists in many other animals (perhaps all mammals, for
example), and culture has little significance to most of these.  It
stretches credulity to suggest that the blind mechanisms of evolution
had so much forsight as to create something for purposes that would
eventually show up with the appearance of homo sapiens.



