Define consciousness

@secondson said
Consciousness "perceives" those capacities. Not the other way around, from my point of view.

OK.

As for me, I think consciousness is a capacity.

@secondson said
Isn't that what consciousness is? That component of what we are that gives us self awareness of our finite capacities, in contrast to the awareness of the infinite and eternal?

Children very often do not possess "awareness of the infinite and eternal" and yet they certainly have consciousness. The same could be said for some people with cognitive impairment: they have consciousness and yet are not aware of "the infinite and eternal".

@secondson said
Consciousness is not reliant on biological function.

I think consciousness is a capacity that has evolved from biological function. I think consciousness ceases when our biological functions cease.

Attendant thereto: I have no credible reason to believe that death is anything other than 'the end'.

@secondson said
That says what consciousness does, not what it is.

Consciousness is the capacity to access memories and recognize oneself as the witness and perpetrator of the events they record. Note the use of the word "is" and the absence of the word "does".

@moonbus said
Dogs and cats are conscious, but they have no awareness of eternity. Dogs and cats don't even have awareness of "tomorrow" or "next week." They have memories, but no concept of "last week."

That is true.
Animals function according to instinct, according to the code programmed into their DNA. A dogs god is its belly. Animals never question whether there's life after death or think about forever.

@fmf said
That's right. I was answering this question from you:

"What does consciousness do or what is it for primarily as a function of what man is?"

So, yes, I was telling you what it does, because you asked me to.

"So, then, how would one "define", with the least common denominator, what consciousness is? What does it do or what is it for primarily as a function of what man is?"

I probably shouldn't have asked since my primary question is about what consciousness is. That's what I'm asking.

If asked, "what is a human body", the answer is plainly visible, but consciousness isn't visible, but clearly gives awareness of ourselves as more than just a physical frame.

Define consciousness. What is it? Maybe nobody knows.

@fmf said
OK.

As for me, I think consciousness is a capacity.

What gives it capacity?

The capacity of my eye is to see, but I can see my eye.

The capacity of consciousness is to be aware of my self and time out of mind, but I can't see my conscience.

@fmf said
Children very often do not possess "awareness of the infinite and eternal" and yet they certainly have consciousness. The same could be said for some people with cognitive impairment: they have consciousness and yet are not aware of "the infinite and eternal".

Perhaps children haven't yet developed the vocabulary.

@secondson said
What gives it capacity?

Human faculties, the development of which was made possible by the size and complexity of the brain. Consciousness is a capacity that the human brain gives us.

@secondson said
The capacity of consciousness is to be aware of my self and time out of mind, but I can't see my conscience.

Conscience?

@secondson said
I probably shouldn't have asked since my primary question is about what consciousness is.

I've offered a few possibilities on page 1.

@fmf said
I think consciousness is a capacity that has evolved from biological function. I think consciousness ceases when our biological functions cease.

Attendant thereto: I have no credible reason to believe that death is anything other than 'the end'.

Except you have the conscious capacity to imagine the infinite and eternal.

@secondson said
consciousness isn't visible, but clearly gives awareness of ourselves as more than just a physical frame.

I think my consciousness will cease when my "physical frame" ceases to exist. In the meantime, I think my consciousness is the ability to perceive my existence within an environment and to be aware of my capacity to affect or be affected by that environment.

@fmf said
Consciousness is the capacity to access memories and recognize oneself as the witness and perpetrator of the events they record. Note the use of the word "is" and the absence of the word "does".

And the conscience has the capacity to be aware of eternity.

@fmf said
Conscience?

Consciousness.