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hellohellohi -> A Conscious Creator (7/7/2008 9:17:38 AM)
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Hello,
I assume that intelligence, as in intelligent design, implies a conscious, intentional, subjective personhood behind the intelligent creation!
Fine. However, I am struck by the fact that the only way that science can interact with a consciousness (in order, for instance, to draw up neural correlates for subjective, phenomenological experience) is to speak to is and to ask, in language, questions -- to ask for the subjective subject [;)] to REPORT. This is a nice word to hold as key.
For instance, the only way a human can investigate scientifically whether another human is conscious is to, say, measure one's own physical neural correlates (fMRI, EEG, etc.) and then look for these correlates in another human. Now these other correlating correlates only become interesting when behavior is observed on the part of the other which the original tester or inquirer can relate to -- so that one's neural correlates appear, indeed, to correlate with another's. Right? In many instances, however, the only BEHAVIOR that can be observed is a person's voluntary reporting. Such as: if we would like to investigate the neural-correlates of "red," we show a subject red, making sure to say, "Do you see the object?" -- if they were blind, and we hadn't asked, we may get results different from the norm.
So -- how could we confirm as scientists whether the creator is a conscious personality?
Let's say we can call hypothetically irreducibly complex systems evidence for a conscious engineer-creator. So, we have the behavior part of the equation. Now, I won't be so mean as to ask for neural correlates of a creator, but it makes little difference. Whether we have a physical brain or not, we cannot peer inside to "see" interiority. At some point, we must ask the conscious subject a question.
If as scientist we are interested in the conscious creator of the universe, we eventually ought to ask it questions: Why did you do this, rather than that? And so on. (BTW, if we are not asking questions, are we scientists? No, I suggest we deserve a different title of some sort. I cannot imagine scientist who does not ask questions of the universe that s/he imagines can be investigated.)
If a metal man of apparent intelligence dropped out of the sky, we would certainly be interested in questions of its origins. However, we might also be interested in the thing's own intelligence and the question of whether it is conscious or simply appears so. What could a scientist do? To be fair, a scientist would have to use the same criteria as that for humans -- begin with a voluntary interview. Neural correlation may not be applicable, and so we might choose to relax this criteria -- however, I must note that such measures are that by which medical scientists judge a person effectively alive or dead, as we all know.
So, you see, we may have evidence of a creator (some woudl argue) as real as if a metal man of intelligence dropped from the sky. We have intelligently engineered organic systems instead.
But, then, is the creator now alive or dead?
Once evidence for an intelligent personality has been found (such as behavior) the usual next step is to exclaim -- who are you?!
Even science has proceeded from merely investigating objective observable phenomena commonly thought to be associated with consciousness (such as Skinner box methods) to asking the consciousness questions in whatever way that can be realized. Such as, when investigating the conscious states of BABIES, some scientists have found it expedient to observe the child's rate of sucking, using a pacifi-o-meter, if you will allow me to invent a word for the purpose of creating an image. Some would argue that conscious, intentional states of animals can also be the subject of scientific investigation.
So, might the conscious intentional state of "the gods" be investigated?
Would it be by interview alone, or can we devise another method of inquiry?
Please, if we would like to advance ID, we must begin asking the conscious creator some questions.
I, personally, am stuck on the "interview" method.
Since I already believe in God the Father and Co. I can only hold that the apparent Creator of the universe is also Him, and since I believe one is asked to interact with Him on a personal level, I am inclined to just ask Him questions. Really, I have no personal need for method in this area. He is a loving God, and therefore will tell me anything He desires for me or I ought to know. some of the things I ask, thus, may get answered.
That is, personally, I can dispense with the scientific method -- and even deductive logic -- when it comes to investigating God.
However, I am open to hear other people's perspectives. Are there other methods (any scientific ones, for instance) for asking questions of the conscious creator?
Can science ask, "Who are you?" Can science ask, "Are you living or dead?" "Are you currently involved in engineering?" "Do you ever make alterations -- Do you ever engineer through trial and error!!??" "Do you follow any aesthetic considerations?" Etc.
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