[MD] Emergent Consciousness

[Case]

[Ham]
Yes.  Reality is not what we think it us.  

[Case]
This is true because it is physically impossible for us to have a direct
experience of whatever it is that is out there. 

[Ham]
For one thing, it is not a subject/object dichotomy like everything that
exists.  It doesn't emerge, evolve, and then disappear from existence.  

[Case]
Without being really sure what you are talking about it is certain that we
have evolved a pretty good set of senses to help us deal with the portions
of "reality" that actually relate to our survival. What more should we
expect?

[Ham]
And, unlike consciousness, it does not have to be created, and it needs no
"other" for self-awareness.

[Case]
There is no reason to suspect that the inanimate world has self awareness.

[Ham]
The problem for you folks is that you want to make existence your illusion,
and this leaves you nowhere.  Aren't Quality and Morality part of this
illusion, just as the Individual is?  If all is an illusion, then you're
faced with the question: What causes it?  That of course takes you beyond
the natural world, and no good MoQer gives credence to a Supernatural
Creator.  

[Case]
Isn't trying to pear into the illusion the really fun part of being alive?
Anything we say about this illusion or is causes will be speculation based
on such evidence as we can agree upon. What more do you expect? The natural
world and our relationship to it is mystery enough. Adding "supernatural"
anything seems at best wishful thinking and at worst a subversive fairy
tale. 

[Ham]
"All is vanity" is the nihilist's credo, but I'm told the MoQ is
not nihilism.

[Case]
This quote you offer comes straight from the Bible, Ecclesiastes 1:1. I am
aware of no finer or more concise statement of the human condition than this
book in the Hebrew anthology.

[Ham]
OK, I tried this once before, but I guess I'm game for another round of
"Pirsig says".  How does he resolve the primary cause?   And please don't
quote me the line about Quality being the "primary empirical reality".
That's just a cop-out.

[Case]
Quality is order emerging from chaos. This is an ancient view confirmed by
modern observation and study, not a cop out.