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                      %OBJECTIVE SELF CONSCIOUSNESS 860701

     Con inanimate matter become conscious  of itself? Can
objects  be aware of themselves and of other objects?  Are
there any objects which have personal attributes?

     To answer such questions requires some  understanding
of  what attributes  are characteristic  of consciousness,
awareness, personhood.

     Consciousness, awareness and personhood all entail an
ability to  relate  self to the environment and others  in
meaningful  ways  which  promote  the  survival  of  those
involved.    Such an ability entails in some  sense  self-
perception  in relation  to the relationships between self
and the environment/others.   There must be some  strategy
in  terms  of which decisions are  made  which  facilitate
coping.   Behavior which is effective coping is suggestive
of a high level of the relevant kinds of abilities.

     Objective behavior by itself is not adequate evidence
of consciousness,  awareness and personhood. Such behavior
needs to be confirmed  by communications which reveal that
there  is  deliberate intentionality on the  part  of  the
creature.   Such communication  is effective  only  if the
creature is capable of communication and  there is another
creature capable of entering into dialogue with the first.
Thus   the  evidence  of  consciousness,   awareness   and
personhood  depends  upon the attributes of at  least  two
creatures.    In the absence of appropriate attributes  in
one or the other  there  can not be adequate  evidence  of
consciousness,  awareness or personhood.   The evidence is
essentially  communal  in  character,   not  objective  in
nature.

     If one or the other creature is  unwilling  to  enter
into  dialogue with the  "other"   then there  can  not be
communications  which  reveal  that  there  is  deliberate
intentionality.    For either to treat the other in purely
objective ways cuts off the possibility of full  dialogue.
Thus  objectivity is not  the  key to the transcendence of
bias  in the search  for  the  range   of   consciousness,
awareness and personhood.

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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