So, here's a thought that completely stopped my brain from processing for a couple of moments after having read and pondered it.
It goes a little something like this.
In economic theory, we profess with probabilities how huge groups of people are likely to behave. Our science is not perfect, but it is growing and we are learning that with high probability we are able to predict how humans behave in groups.
The same can be said for quantum particles (as above, so below). We use probabilities to tell how they might behave. But:
I would relate this to it is impossible to know the actions and intentions of any one person, nor tell the future trajectory of that person. Even if you can read minds, or communicate with them; often times we ourselves are poor predictors of our own future behaviors.
So. Why is it that we call particles random but purport to humans being the sole owners of consciousness and free will?
It would be just as easy for an alien to observe our planet with some massive telescope, and observe all our random (yet probabilistically predictable) human behaviors!
I propose the whole universe. Down to the singular particle (and the strings that comprise them, and whatever frequency makes up strings...) is inherently conscious. (I'm not even sure I know to put in words what consciousness means)
So, do you think particles are conscious, or that they are self-directed?
Do particles have free will?
Well, maybe they don't; but maybe our free will is an illusion as well!?
Is it our dominant societies hubris that wants to attribute consciousness solely to humans? If particles have it, doesn't that mean all matter is conscious (not just 'living' species but 'dead' things as well, rocks, water, mountains, magma, etc)?
What do you think?
A section from a much longer thought exercise.
Rieki