From: Robin Hanson (rhanson@gmu.edu)
Date: Sat Sep 09 2000 - 15:40:21 MDT
Hal Finney wrote:
> When you speak of a "PR" model, do you mean that consciousness exists
> (or appears to exist) primarily for the benefit of other people, rather
> than for yourself? That is pretty much the case with PR departments.
> Perhaps you are conscious in order to make you appear to be more
> predictable and therefore reliable? Would consciousness do this, though,
> if it does not actually affect decision making?
Miller in "The Mating Mind" notes that fitness signals are best if they
signalan average quality of much of the genome, and hypothsizes that much of
our conscious thinking is there to impress others with our wit, cleverness,
etc.
So he suggests that this might explain why consciousness seems hard to
localize in
a particular brain module. Our conscious minds are primarily there to put on
a
show for others, impressing them with an integrated set of cognitive skills.
We tell stories about how what we do is all part of the integrated plan where
we talk all our goals into account and use all our skills as appropriate.
Those
listening to us can then judge our overall cognitive abilities.
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