308 Self and the Phenomenon of Life
b2726 Self and the Phenomenon of Life: A Biologist Examines Life from Molecules to Humanity “9x6”the bacteria, the controversy increases, but the possibility of a trace of
awareness lingering on cannot be ruled out. No doubt consciousness
fades gradually down the evolutionary ladder, but at what point it van-
ishes is anybody’s guess. On the other hand, it might be possible, though
not provable, that atoms and molecules in the inanimate world might
harbor a dormant form of mind, waiting to germinate into consciousness
when conditions are right (when they become part of a living system). In
short, I like to assign consciousness in its absolute term only to myself,
and impart relative consciousness to all other beings.
Now we come to the thorny question of whether computers and
robots have minds. I shall confine my discussion mainly to computers,
as robots are just computers with moving parts. There is a school that
maintains that anything that shows “intelligence” has consciousness —
the so-called “strong artificial intelligence.” (By intelligence, they mean
a problem-solving logic, or an algorithm in computer parlance.) Accord-
ing to this school, not only do computers and robots have minds, but
thermostats also do.^23 They consider a thermostat as a small robot, a
regulator with a feedback mechanism. Their reasoning goes like this:
computers simulate certain aspects of human thinking, and since our
thinking organ (the brain) is capable of awareness, computers should
also be conscious.^24 My main objections to this school are: (1) If any pro-
grammable machine has consciousness, why not assign consciousness to
any algorithm, including one that is written on a piece of paper? (2) The
brain does not process information perfectly logically. It errs, and it is
tainted by emotion, passion, desire and will. The brain has an appeti-
tive as well as rational function. Awareness of something without the
accompanying liking and disliking does not make biological sense. (See
Chapters 8 and 9 on the interdependence of consciousness and emo-
tion.) (3) The “intelligence” of a computer or robot is simply the exten-
sion of the intelligence of the hardware maker and the programmer.
There is no need to impart an independent existence of consciousness
to the computer.^25 (4) A computer, even a self-reproducing robot, does
not have the self-generated propensity to seek its own perpetuation;