[MD] Dawkins a Materialist (is watching?)

[David M]

Hi Ham

I have no idea how you distinguish any behaviour that is
inanimate from any that is animate, the distinction seems
entirely one of metaphysical assumption or an appeal
to similarities with our own subjective experience. There
is only behaviour. From exp[erience, we may wish to suggest
a theory based on the difference between very repetitive behaviours and
those that seem to be more various but why should consistent behaviour
imply unconsciousness and mechanism? If experience is our guide,
resisting dubious metaphysical assumtions, it would appear that
the unconscious emerges via habit from the conscious, i.e.
everything new requires consciousness, repetition can fade into
unconscious repetition. Or can you persuade me otherwise without
appealing to metaphysical assumption?

David M