Consciousness

Is the Brain a Digital Computer? John R. Searle

Consciousness and the Philosophers John R. Searle

Status: While studying and thinking about consciousness, I'm writing these notes. The notes should not be taken to be a complete expression of my opinion or even to give a useful account of consciousness.

Guidelines

William James said that science does not go forward because of the simple attraction to knowledge. It goes forward because of personal benefit of differing kinds for those who do the scientific work (maybe those who account for the work as well) and the benefit could be through having one's point of view validated. Partly for the sake of making my present understanding evident, the following acknowledgement is given of guidelines that direct my search. Because of presenting the statements while sharing research, I do not mean for them to be taken as preaching, though the information could be heard in preaching.
I am a Christian. I know that my beliefs do not have the same characteristics or indications of attainment as whatever scientific knowledge I may have. To go further, unlike in scientific discovery, I have not originally discovered (or proven correct through scientific reasoning) the things I believe, and have not acquainted myself with the complete explanation for every part of my belief. The way of going forward in believing is very different than going forward in scientific knowledge. Part of the difference has to do with recognition of sources that should be believed, and the basis for believing in sources. To some extent, one can have belief in God that is separate from science. Of course, at the same time, economy, transportation, food, and work take place in life and involve knowledge, even scientific knowledge. The point is that one can believe without being a scientist. I do believe in God without knowing completely the nature of consciousness. Whatever the truth is about consciousness, I don't think that it invalidates believing in God.
Ecclesiastes says that God has hidden the world in man's heart, so that he cannot find it. I've heard that Colin McGinn has an account for why we may not be capable of fully evaluating consciousness. It may not be possible to fully account for consciousness.
The book of Psalms includes the question, what is man that God is mindful of man? That seems to say that man's nature and capabilities do not recommend mankind as being profound, worthy, or deserving of the utmost attention. Human consciousness is part of man's nature and capability. Consciousness is not mankind's validation.
Though there is cause to say that consciousness is nothing to boast of, the same Psalm continues in saying "For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour." (Psalms 8:5) Shakespeare used the phrase "how like an angel". It seems probable that human attributes having to do with consciousness have as well to do with glory and honor. More closely holding the intended meaning, we could say that human attributes of glory and honor may have to do with consciousness. I could possibly be wrong and do not doubt that deemphasizing self and thinking of others yields more honorable service and splendor than thinking of oneself. Yet in order to serve well, one has to have knowledge and, in addition, wisdom for knowing the right time to use the knowledge. Yet even with that indication of consciousness, selfless action or doing what is best for the other is easiest when put into action through a good spirit or in a good attitude, and that certainly doesn't focus on consciousness, though it may involve consciousness of what is good.
While thinking about these points, it seems like winning the point is not certain. Consciousness could be thought to be the crown of glory and honor. Thus, science claiming no consciousness, claims no glory; or, little consciousness, no reason to think of it as honor. My intent is to show from the statements that mankind is honored because of God's kindness and not because of having attributes that deserve reward.

The mind at work

We may not know something about the mind, like how to integrate new knowledge, yet the mind manages anyway.

Mind's non-physical knowledge

The purpose of these statements is to move toward the point of view of mind as being like a computer program, and a program as containing and being a product of knowledge (information) and having "causal explanatory power" yet not being a physical entity or, in the case of the mind, being caused.

Computer programs as mental expression

I do not think that my observations about these matters will be more astute than philosophers who have been studying from before I was born; however, it seems to me that philosophers at times do not have the benefit of being acquainted with computer programs as attentive authors of programs. Thus, there may be less of the sense of how close a computer program can be to, and perhaps simply of being (when making the connections for protocols and appropriate expression) an expression of thought.

Capabilities of computer programs

Computer programs begin as the imagining of computer programmers or other persons. Then the programs may be written in a computer language. The language is usually related to human language, and it is easy to make logical expressions in the language and to imagine and support symbols and the use of symbols so that the program's treatment of the symbol sets maintains meaning relative to the original imaging (intended purpose) of the symbols. The program could have the capability of adding to itself; it could, in fact, include all the information for the language that it is written in and how to translate statements in that language to machine code. It is certainly possible that the program, using its ability to add machine code to itself, could make use of available data to better function at its task than was written in the programming language. (For example, a program written to recognize Jazz could gain the capability through information gathering and use of the information to better recognize that kind of music than the computer programmer may have known at the time of writing the program.)

Created with and of knowledge

Computer programs, from the view of being recorded thought, include precise instructions for performing a computer task. All knowledge required (in the context of the program and its environment) for doing the work is encoded within the program or its data store. It is possible that some of the knowledge is higher-level than the actual knowledge needed for the task and that the encoded knowledge defines methods of acquiring the actual knowledge or information for the task. From the view of being machine code, computer programs may exist as a magnetic record accessible to a computer. The record can be loaded into the CPU where a defined set of actions take place. The machine code is entirely appropriate for use in the CPU and typically includes data, definitions of what to do with the data, definitions of how to use the machine code itself (such as directions to go to another sequence within the code). Knowledge and intent can be observed in the computer programmer's purpose of including data, definitions, and control statements. The program is not the computer. The computer can do almost nothing without having a program containing instructions for what the computer is to do. Knowledge is invested in the program. The program is not physical, though it is conveyed through physical means, even when the program is in the mind of a person, because then the computer program as data is kept in human memory and is supported in a manner like the mind is supported, though I could possibly be wrong.

Relation does not mean cause

Gravity and the place where I am do not cause me to be where I am. In the same manner, being in an environment and dependent on the environment does not cause me to be me. Thus, the mind, though dependent on the physical may not be caused by the physical. "State of mind", for example, can be attained on the basis of knowledge or thought.

Program's share in computing; mind's share of consciousness

What attributes of consciousness pertain to mind, given that mind is like a computer program?

Non-physical cause of change

Mind has the information and capability to change, though a person may not be aware of it.

Mind may deal more with mind than an individual knows.