Is There a Consciousness in Other Animals?

4min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

I suspect, like many other thinkers, that there's a varying degree of consciousness. But I don't know where it came from or how it evolved. It is something that we use very effectively to plan our actions. So why do we not see this sort of self-illusion in other animals? Why does it seem to be something that's primarily human? Do you think perhaps a similarly complex interconnected network could give rise to consciousness and be self-aware? What are your thoughts on that?

Is the person you believe to be the protagonist of your life story real or a fictional character? In other words, is your very self real or is it an illusion? According to psychologist Bruce Hood, the person at the center of your life isn't really there; it's all neurological smoke and mirrors. Sure, you have the sensation that you have a self, and that sensation is real, but the beliefs and ideas that spring from it are not. Learn all about it in this episode in which you'll hear some new material mixed with a rebroadcast of episode four's interview with the author of The Self Illusion, Bruce Hood.

Patreon: http://patreon.com/youarenotsosmart