The Hard Answer: What Is Consciousness?

An extraction from the book, Adeology

From the section: Unapologetics

        What is Consciousness? Nothing more than the experience of that which has just happened—is happening. It is the most remarkable thing—ever. Well, the most remarkable thing ever next to existence, anyway—because yes, it is true that without existence one would not be able to be conscious; but, without consciousness, one would not be able to know that existence exists. David Chalmers [the hard problem] says that consciousness does and doesn’t exist, and Daniel Dennett [the hard question] loves to remind us that consciousness isn’t what we think it is—I can agree with them both. But, the hard answer to: what is consciousness, for humans and all other sentient creatures with varying degrees of sentience, is that consciousness is merely that which is experienced between birth and death—an evolutionary adaptation—a phenomenal acquisition to the survival of life and the pursuit of continued existence. And, on top of that, thanks to consciousness, we can enjoy things too!