How did consciousness come into existence? Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes'Steven Pinker and Sam Harris have argued "the emergence of consciousness is simply incomprehensible". While recent neuroscientists have concluded "there is no convincing function to be found for consciousness". But if so, why are we conscious? Is consciousness an accurate description of what's happening to us, a sort of internal dashboard of the current state of affairs? Or is it a construction made to achieve certain outcomes?Has evolution got something seriously wrong if consciousness is a mere by-product of being human? Do we need a new account of consciousness and how it fits into our model of the universe? Is it possible that consciousness itself is leading us astray?Famed cognitive psychologist Donald Hoffman, celebrated psychiatrist and former literary scholar Iain McGilchrist, trailblazing evolutionary theorist and geneticist Eva Jablonka and pioneering philosopher of consciousness Michelle Montague lock horns over whether consciousness evolved. Robert Lawrence Kuhn hosts. There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=the-dawn-of-consciousnessSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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