The above discussion maybe a bit too functionalist to give a balanced view of
the current state of play in the philosophy of consciousness. Don't forget the hard
problem ( See Dave Chalmers' stuff at
http://consc.net/chalmers/ ). Objective
science a la Wolfram or other functionalists, is silent on
the subjective dimension of conscious experience. But as mysterians like Colin McGinn
( see e.g.
http://www.consciousentities.com/mcginn.htm ) point out, no objective process can
explain the ineffability of the subjective sensation of a red rose or a bat's echo or a fine Chianti.
Another wonderful insight of McGinn: our minds are not in any physical location - your awareness
of this page is not anywhere. Thus this leads him to asort of subjective cosmology:
before matter there was pure mind, which can exist outside of space - only later, when
matter created the correct conditions could mind enter the material world and inform it with meaning.
Thus spirit imbues the boring world of Wolfram with a numinous essence: and breathes
fire into the equations, as Hawking once said.
Also, free will can enter via a sort of 'quantum pineal gland', allowing spirit to supervene on the brain's chaotic processes - the 2-way feedback between mind and matter is via this interface. Thus neither qualia nor subjective time flow nor free will are illusions.
Ciao bello,
Hugh.