> Consciousness effects the mind/brain/body complex.
Or so it seems. It's entirely possible that consciousness is just post-factum rationalization of what the body did.
Have you noticed that sometimes you make a decision but don't do it, and sometimes you make a decision and do it?
> If your notion was correct, only a perfect atomic ordering inside the brain would create a precise and useful thought, such as how to find the ratio of radius to diameter.
> It's entirely possible that consciousness is just post-factum rationalization of what the body did.
If that were the sole reality my case would still stand, for you then become aware of something you did, and react; ergo consciousness does effect the body, etc. This is basic physics.
Nor does your argument exclude mine. Why would you need consciousness if it was merely "post-factum rationalization" with no feedback effect? By your logic, we could live exactly the same without the consciousness.
> you then become aware of something you did, and react; ergo consciousness does effect the body
consciousness can be a side effect, like log files. Every time you send an email you get a line in log files, but the email wasn't sent BECAUSE of log files.
> Why would you need consciousness if it was merely "post-factum rationalization" with no feedback effect?
This is a good argument. It could be like the concept of color. We needed a way to distinguish good and bad food, so we have color vision and we created the concept of colors (which are simplifications and abstractions of real world, but useful ones).
And when we have these abstractions we use them sometimes in ways that have no relation to reality, like talking about feeling "blue".
Similarly we needed a way to know where to stop when searching for root cause on cause-effect tree. When somebody hits you with a stick it's useful to attack that person and not the stick (too early termination) or their mother (too late). So our models of the world had to have the concept of agency and consciousness. It doesn't matter that the concept is correct, it just needs to be useful. Just like naive understanding of physics like "everything thrown falls down and everything slows to a halt if not pushed" is wrong, but useful so we have it built-in.
These calculations don't need to be conscious, consciousness can still be an illusion, but the distinction remains useful.
If you insist we learn from our memories that are constructed around the concept of consciousness - therefore consciousness have effect on our lives - I can grant you that, but that doesn't mean consciousness is real any more than kids behaving well to get presents prove the existence of Santa Claus.
> Have you noticed that sometimes you make a decision but don't do it, and sometimes you make a decision and do it?
Absolutely. Sometimes I'll notice in my meditation practice that something will arise and then I'll watch it get labeled by my brain and brought into cognition, but there is a gap between it. It's like watching the brain/body work something out and then present it to your awareness.
Or so it seems. It's entirely possible that consciousness is just post-factum rationalization of what the body did.
Have you noticed that sometimes you make a decision but don't do it, and sometimes you make a decision and do it?
> If your notion was correct, only a perfect atomic ordering inside the brain would create a precise and useful thought, such as how to find the ratio of radius to diameter.
Does not follow.