Conscious
by Annaka Harris · first published 2019
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"What is consciousness? How does it arise? And why does it exist? We take our experience of being in the world for granted. But the very existence of consciousness raises profound questions: Why would any collection of matter in the universe be conscious? How are we able to think about this? And why should we? /In this wonderfully accessible book, Annaka Harris guides us through the evolving definitions, philosophies, and scientific findings that probe our limited understanding of consciousness. Where does it reside, and what gives rise to it? Could it be an illusion, or a universal property o
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haven't read the article and just here for the comments as one does, but I recommend Conscious by Annaka Harris. The Sun, while not necessarily alive, might be conscious. No woowoo.
on “Six Smart Guys Sitting Around Talking (1994)” ↗If you're just curious about octopuses, I think you can probably learn much more in much less time by doing your own research and finding articles like this. If you're more interested in consciousness a good place to start is "Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind" by Annaka Harris.
on “Octopuses caught on camera throwing things at each other” ↗This is good reasoning, but from where did you get the requirements? After having read Annaka Harris’ “Conscious” and Philip Goff’s “Galileo’s Error”, it seems plausible to me (and the most logically simple resolution) that panpsychism explains the universe. I.e., in the vain search for the place to draw “the line”…
on “Could the cosmos, in fact, be conscious?” ↗"Conscious" by Annaka Harris sounds like a good overview, although I haven't read it yet so I'm not sure how rigorous it is.
on “What Is a Mathematical Structure of Conscious Experience?” ↗