That strikes me as plausible, but if so, then rats are much more competent than humans in their ‘blindsight’ like abilities. My impression is that in humans, blindsight is very subtle. A human cannot use blindsight to walk into the kitchen and get a glass of water. Rats seem like they can rely on their midbrain to do this sort of thing. If rats are able to engage in complex behavior without consciousness, that should make us wonder if consciousness ever plays a role in their complex behavior. If it doesn’t, then why should we think they are conscious?
You might think that we have evidence from comparative neuroanatomy. Humans have some abilities in both places, and something in the cortex adds consciousness. Maybe the same is true for rats. But if so, that would push the questions down the phylogeny to creatures who can achieve as much or more than rats with their midbrains and don’t have any complex cortex.
That strikes me as plausible, but if so, then rats are much more competent than humans in their ‘blindsight’ like abilities. My impression is that in humans, blindsight is very subtle. A human cannot use blindsight to walk into the kitchen and get a glass of water. Rats seem like they can rely on their midbrain to do this sort of thing. If rats are able to engage in complex behavior without consciousness, that should make us wonder if consciousness ever plays a role in their complex behavior. If it doesn’t, then why should we think they are conscious?
You might think that we have evidence from comparative neuroanatomy. Humans have some abilities in both places, and something in the cortex adds consciousness. Maybe the same is true for rats. But if so, that would push the questions down the phylogeny to creatures who can achieve as much or more than rats with their midbrains and don’t have any complex cortex.