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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank
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To: TimF who wrote (80451)3/3/2004 11:43:09 AM
From: Solon  Read Replies (1) of 82486
 
"That doesn't mean that consciousness, compassion, feeling, or the potential for these things are irrelevant"

Then in what way are they "relevant"? Remember, you had said that:

"I don't agree that being human is about consciousness or higher reasoning. Some humans are not at the conscious at any particular moment, and many are very limited in their reasoning ability, also its quite possible (in my opinion likely) that there are conscious, reasoning alien races. They would not be human"

So in what way is consciousness relevant in an alien that it is not relevant in people? You seem to be saying that biology trumps consciousness rather than the other way around. If I am not mistaken in honestly trying to decipher your meaning, you attach a greater value to a human zygote without consciousness than you attach to an alien with alien children and a degree in romance languages and poetry appreciation. Is consciousness a secondary or a primary consideration? Is the essence of being human the ability to feel, to love, to reason...or is it the number of genes on the string?

"The zygote is an entity that if things work out will become reasoning. The sperm is not."

I disagree. Everything has the potential to transform into other things. You did not come from nothing, so your possibility began at the beginning of time if there is such a when. The potential or possibility for all future lives is here right now. If it is not then it cannot and will not occur.
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