The Erosion of Human Exceptionalism

For centuries, scientific progress has steadily chipped away at humanity’s perceived centrality in the universe. From Copernicus’s heliocentric model displacing Earth from the cosmos, to Darwin’s theory of evolution revealing our kinship with all living things, and Freud’s exploration of the unconscious challenging our rational self-image, each revolution has forced a humbling reassessment of our place in the natural order. Cell theory, demonstrating the fundamental unity of life, was perhaps even more quietly devastating, revealing the shared biological architecture between humans and even the simplest plant.

Yet, despite these profound shifts, one enigma remains stubbornly resistant to scientific explanation: consciousness itself. Philosopher Thomas Nagel famously asked, “What is it like to be a bat?” – a question that encapsulates the inherent subjectivity of experience, the qualitative “what it feels like” that seems to elude objective measurement. Centuries of inquiry have yielded no definitive answer, leaving us as perplexed as our prehistoric ancestors.

Pollan’s Exploration of Inner Space

Michael Pollan’s new book, A World Appears, dives headfirst into this very conundrum. Pollan, known for his insightful explorations of food, plants, and altered states of consciousness, approaches the problem not as a computer scientist, but as a curious observer, meticulously synthesizing the perspectives of leading neuroscientists, philosophers, and his own personal experimentation. The book doesn’t offer solutions, but rather maps the bewildering landscape of competing theories – a staggering 106 hypotheses, encompassing 22 physicalist accounts and a remarkable 84 non-physicalist ones.

Pollan’s journey begins with plants, often overlooked in discussions of consciousness. He reveals that plants possess a surprising degree of sensory integration, processing information from over twenty distinct senses, including all five of our own. This challenges our anthropocentric assumptions about the prerequisites for awareness. He then moves into a compelling examination of feeling, arguing that it precedes computation as a fundamental aspect of consciousness. Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio’s work, highlighted in the book, suggests that feeling has been historically undervalued in scientific inquiry, perhaps due to ingrained biases.

Did You Know?: Research suggests a single neuron in the human cortex can perform the same computational tasks as an entire deep artificial neural network.

The Elusive Self and the Limits of Reductionism

The book progresses through explorations of thought and, finally, the self – a concept that becomes increasingly nebulous when viewed through the lens of constant physical change. Pollan’s own meditative experiences in a New Mexico cave serve as a poignant illustration of the insoluble nature of the search. He doesn’t claim to have found answers, but rather to have embraced the mystery.

While other works, such as David Lodge’s Consciousness and the Novel and John Searle’s Mind, offer lucid introductions to the subject, Pollan’s strength lies in his ability to anticipate cultural shifts. He’s demonstrated this talent with his previous work on food and psychedelics, and now, with A World Appears, he’s once again positioned himself at the forefront of a critical conversation.

The Computer as Brain: A Broken Metaphor?

Pollan concludes that the “computer-as-brain” metaphor is fundamentally flawed. He points to evidence suggesting that the complexity of a single cortical neuron far exceeds that of even the most sophisticated artificial neural networks. This isn’t to dismiss the potential of AI as a tool, but to challenge the notion that it’s on a direct path to replicating human consciousness.

The current fervor surrounding AI, Pollan argues, is driven less by scientific progress and more by economic imperatives. The pursuit of AGI is fueled by a desire to reduce labor costs, a fact that reveals a distinctly anti-humanist undercurrent. This trend is increasingly intertwined with right-wing politics, a convergence that, while unsettling, is perhaps more honest about its underlying motivations.

Pro Tip: Be wary of utopian promises surrounding AI. Focus on the practical applications and potential risks, rather than getting caught up in speculative narratives.

The panic surrounding AI’s potential failure stems from a deeper crisis of meaning. The decline of religion has left a void in many people’s lives, a longing for transcendence that AI promises to fulfill – or at least, distract from. The pursuit of technological solutions, like colonizing Mars or achieving the singularity, can be seen as modern-day equivalents of religious faith, offering a sense of purpose and hope in a seemingly meaningless universe.

Ultimately, A World Appears reminds us that the enduring mystery of consciousness is not a problem to be solved, but a condition to be embraced. The very act of seeking, even without finding, is what defines us as human. There is a profound exhilaration in confronting the ultimate question – the question that points beyond all other questions.

What role does subjective experience play in defining what it means to be human? And how might our understanding of consciousness shape the future development of artificial intelligence?