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15.4
A general definition of consciousness
 
  Similar to dreaming, consciousness is historically considered a significant distinguishing feature between "higher" life and lower life. As with dreaming, the concept has traditionally been exclusively associated to the human experience. For this reason, we will now consider the concept of consciousness and its importance in classifying self-aware life  
15.4.1 What is consciousness?  
  As it turns out, no contemporary universally agreed definition exists for the concept of consciousness. It common usage, the word consciousness, cognition and awareness are often considered as interchangeable concepts. However, substantial opposing arguments now exist as to the exact definition of consciousness as a unique feature of the observer, or a reaction between the observer and the world, or some other combination.  
  For this reason, most contemporary text books seek to initially define consciousness by way of example, rather than clear and precise definition. "I wake up and have a cup of coffee. As I sip the coffee, I am aware of its hot bitter taste- I can therefore say that I am consciousness of the taste and heat of the coffee." The problem is compounded when additional factors are introduced such as the leaking sink tap, or the burning toast. Am I aware of these items at the same time? Maybe yes, maybe no.  
15.4.2 The problem with getting an agreed definition of consciousness  
  The problem of getting a clear definition on consciousness has only emerged during the 20th Century. This is because the approach of excluding subjective properties that cannot be accurately measured has only emerged as orthodoxy in science over the past 100 years. Prior to this, it was widely taken for granted that reality contains conscious features, in addition to any physical ones like size and mass.  
  Dualism  
  French philosopher Renne Descartes considered a similar view to Plato in that he believed conscious experiences were a result of two distinct realms (the dualist view) mental and physical. Further, he considered that both interact causally. While making strong sense, based on the human experience of unique events even though "reality" remains largely the same, the lack of scientific proof as to the connection between the mental and the physical have pushed his writings out of favour.  
  Idealism  
  In contrast, philosophers of the 18th and 19th centuries such as George Berkely, Georg Hegel, John Stuart Mill and Ernest Mach considered the alternate view that everything we see in reality is really a construct from the mental and that the world is essentially made up of elaborate ideas (hence the concept of "idealism"). While their writings placed consciousness at centre stage (each of us creating subjective approximations of the world), their ideas also fell out favour due to the lack of explanation on how collective view of reality emerges from such individual mental experiences.  
  Materialism  
  In contrast, the scientists and philosophers of the 20th Century have found an increasingly powerful way to argue the validity of the world of ideas and subjectivism through the "science" of behaviouralism and neuroscience's ("functionalism'). In the first instance, it is now commonly accepted that , all human mental states can largely be described in terms of their outwardly observable behavioral effects (thus, "pain is the state that causes writhing and other avoidance behaviour"), rather than the subjective mental state of what the patient is feeling while in pain. Secondly, the tremendous advances in neurobiology has provided a wealth of knowledge of the complex functioning of the human brain, including the processing capacity and processes of the human brain as a cognitive machine.  
  Expansionism  
  Interestingly, in recent decades a number of scientists have sought to return to more balanced notion of internal subjective senses having some validity apart from being described as simply outputs from complex groupings of physical processes. The problem of credibility within the scientific community remains at what point does the ethereal react with the physical. In answer to this question, leaders in promoting expansionist concepts existing with nature have met with largely ridicule from the established scientific community.  
15.4.3 The UCA view on consciousness  
  If you have arrived at this point after reading all the previous chapters, then you might have already guessed the likely summary of all the previous concepts in terms of UCA might be: All have an element of truth about them. The problem lies not in the general concepts, but the model of thought in which they are arranged  
  Firstly, in terms of the contemporary scientific model of the all physical phenomena being able to be described as having a root cause from other physical phenomena- UCA is in full agreement. In the physical world, only real world objects can alter the motion and disposition of other physical objects. This is completely consistent with the description of the physical world in existence from the rules laid out in chapter 5 of UCA right up to this chapter.  
  From the perspective of the idealists, they are absolutely correct in considering the world as being an illusion of sorts (a dream). However, we exist by virtue of being instantiated within a frame of matter. We exist within the dream.  
  From the perspective of the dualists, they are absolutely correct in considering that mind(spirit) and body interact within every action, because mind and body are one and the same substance. Again the only problem from the dualist point of view is perspective.  
15.4.4 Consciousness is unique collective awareness  
  As contemporary scientists now show us, the human conscious experience is made up of a unique and complex collection of physiological actions. If certain molecules are not present in the right amounts at the right location at the right time, then we may feel drowsy, or even find our experience (such as a sudden rush of endorphins) of an event are enhanced.  
  Consciousness therefore is a redundant term, given it fails to adequately describe or attribute our state of being to these fundamental principles. In complete agreement to this prognosis of 20th century science, the word UCA- Unique Collective Awareness is used as a superior concept as means of describing the complex chemical reactions and actions that contribute to our overall state of cognition we commonly call "Consciousness"..  
15.4.5 Consciousness(UCA) and all life  
  Given this entire book is based on the premises that everything is UCA, it holds that all life possesses UCA. Consciousness therefore is not considered an adequate determinant for deciding what lifeforms are "higher" in ability than others.  
     
 
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