Does Consciousness Need God?: The Best Bits of Daniel Dennett vs Keith Ward

The whole debate:

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[AntiCitizenX]

Define consciousness. If you implicitly define that word as something that requires God, then you’ve begged the question. If consciousness is something that does not necessarily require God, then you have to first prove God is a thing before we can even talk about whether or not God explains it.

[AndresB]

If God were a requirement for consciousness, then God could not be conscious. It's another special pleading fallacy.

[TheBastius]

Theistic reasoning in a nutshell:
If consciousness is merely what the brain does, then I'll be sad.
I don't wish to be sad.
Therefore, consciousness isn't merely what the brain does.

[AlyssaMcNeil]

Wow 31 minutes in a single TMM video? must be already christmas.

[NickyTannock]

I don't understand this need for consciousness to be something independent of the brain, is it because of the fear of death perhaps?

[TheLivingDinosaur]

The delusional old fellow said the magic words: "common sense". And he said them as though this concept has some kind relevance to the process by which we have come (and continue) to understand physical reality. Game over sunshine. This is why people who are truly interested in the understanding existence regardless of their personal biases and emotional attachments do science, while those who do not share the same interests, but like to pretend to the world that they do, do metaphysics.

[lilrobbiek]

I've always like Dennett's quote about whether humans have souls, "Yes, we have a soul - but it’s made of lots of tiny robots."

[johnpaulmarkes]

Apologist training
1. Think of some really hard question
2. Say "god did it"
3. Claim that god needs no explanation

[danarchist]

Clearly consciousness doesn't need a god. Obviously, we're here, exist, and we did that through the slow process of evolution like anywhere else in the universe.

[matthewgagnon]

If you can't tell the difference between an incredibly human-like robot and a human then what difference does it make which one is "real" and which one "isn't?" Seems to be more of a problem of someone wanting to feel special and exceptional than an actual problem of what consciousness "is."

[ShannonQ]

I'm watching this for the 30th time 🤣

[ArcaneEther]

It's basically the "But I'm special!" argument.

[blindtruth]

We know that if we affect the brain then consciousness can be lost, such as if we get knocked out or the brain is somehow damaged and this consciousness does not seem to carry on independently. We also see huge changes in the personality of this consciousness or personality if the brain suffers damage especially if the damage occurs due to oxygen starvation, I have witnessed this in a number of people personally and I can attest that what is left of a personality dues to this can be extremely different than what was present before, if the consciousness was not dependent on the brain then I would expect it to not be affected

[jbattle]

I wish they would accept evolution, then these conversations/explanations would go a lot smoother. Dennett does an outstanding job conveying the point, this guy just keeps going back to the same gibberish.

[George]

Consciousness is what it feels like to be a robot designed by evolution to build another robot like itself.

An egg is a single cell that goes through a very complicated process to produce another egg. The human zygote is a single cell that goes through a very complicated process to produce another human zygote. A bacterium is a cell that goes through a complicated process to produce another bacterium.

All human wants and desires are part of the complicated process through which genes replicate. Success is to provide an environment where the gene can replicate. Success, to a gene, is to make copies which make copies which make copies. In human terms -- to have children who have children who have children.

[ChaosRaych]

I'm a new sub just because I noticed your comments on so many videos from channels I frequent, that I had to come check out your channel. You did not disappoint! Very insightful & thought-provoking content 👍

[bigdude]

This guy attended Oxford?

My estimation of Oxford as an elite learning institution just plummeted.

[HebaruSan]

Admitting to being an idealist should count as losing the argument right there.

[James-yerp]

Memories exist without a brain? Prove it. Show some, any, evidence for this.

[MoovySoundtrax]

I'm enjoying these longer form videos from you, TMM.