From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!torn!cs.utexas.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!mp.cs.niu.edu!rickert Mon Aug 24 15:41:14 EDT 1992
Article 6648 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: rickert@mp.cs.niu.edu (Neil Rickert)
Subject: Re: what is consciousness for?
Message-ID: <1992Aug19.143831.14839@mp.cs.niu.edu>
Organization: Northern Illinois University
References: <1992Aug18.161151.12316@mp.cs.niu.edu> <Bt8EJt.4pG@watdragon.uwaterloo.ca>
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 14:38:31 GMT
Lines: 38

In article <Bt8EJt.4pG@watdragon.uwaterloo.ca> cpshelle@logos.uwaterloo.ca (cameron shelley) writes:
>rickert@mp.cs.niu.edu (Neil Rickert) writes:
>
>Well, if you allow consciousness to exist in degrees, I don't see why
>culture shouldn't be seen similarly.  Observation of gorillas and
>other simians in the wild seems to show they communicate learned
>behaviour across generations, though not at the same level as humans. 
>And I would be the last person to tell `Mother Nature' how to run her
>business.  

I do agree that there is some culture in apes.  Actually, there is
arguably some culture in birds, as indicated by song variations.  In
most cases, I don't believe there is any persuasive evidence that there
is enough culture to be significant for survival, although the apes
might be an exception.

>[From a later posting by Neil]
>>Actually, it is my suspicion that consciousness is there to increase
>>the speed of learning.

>This then demands an answer to "what is rapid learning good for"?

I would imagine that when a carnivore is attacking its prey, and the
prey kicks it in the face, it is very useful to learn to anticipate this
so the predator can duck the next blow.  There are many circumstances
where rapid learning would seem to be highly beneficial.

>                                                         Cultural
>learning, on the other hand, has to be rapid, given the short lifespan
>of each individual who must learn it to transmit it.  As you remark,
>consciousness would be an advantage in this system if it sped up the
>acquisition of learned behaviour. 

I guess we have different concepts of "rapid learning".  Learning over
a lifetime seems anything but rapid.  Most learning of culture is quite
slow.  Dealing with crisis and emergency situations, on the other hand,
requires rapid learning.



