Sentience

[Raven]

Originally Posted by theapportioner

An adult human being is different from a morula in more ways than just sentience. Another one: organization. The human body is an amazing interaction of trillions of cells in a dynamic environment. Just as one neuron does not make a brain -- indeed brain functions only occur as a result of interactions between neurons, one embryonic stem cell does not make a human. But these discussions are more a matter of taste than of science. You can use science as a guide, but that's it.

You are forgetting completely about the intense organization required for embryonic development. For it is not the size of the organization that matters. If that were true there would be animals that are "higher" than humans. They utilize greater organization of their neurons. Is an elephant now a greater being?

Originally Posted by theapportioner

I used to think a bit like you, but one need not use the determinism based on fundamental laws of physics to describe human activity. Indeed I would say it would tells you nearly nothing. Hence, while the traditional Christian formulation of free will would be nixed if you take the universe to be determined, the experiences of will and consciousness are fully compatible with it.

You are right and wrong. On a basic level determinism can go with consciousness. But once you move past the icing, and begin to delve into the true nature of the cake, you begin to see a contradiction. If one is conscious of one's self, than one is able to discern their own emotions, attitudes, and beliefs. If one is conscious of the environment, than one is able to discern the environment's effect on one's self. If one is conscious to both, than they are able to discern both. If one can discern both, than one can discern a certain amount of variables. If one can discern a certain amount of variables, than one is able to affect those variables. If one can affect those variables, than one is able to generate a separate option. If one can generate a separate option, than one has created a choice. Thus the existance of this choice actually contradicts determinism.