<p>This reminds me of a <a href="https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/13210/is-the-heart-conscious/13216#13216">similar question</a> I answered a few weeks ago. Not exactly the same situation, but the leading theory is that it <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-theory-of-consciousness/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">comes down to complexity</a>.</p>

<p>I'll start out by saying that we don't know for sure what animals are conscious or even what consciousness is, exactly. In fact, it's not even possible to prove without a doubt that you or I are conscious.</p>

<p>We do mostly seem to have a general intuition of what consciousness is, and which things are or are not conscious. Probably most people would say that an ant does not possess consciousness, and the complexity argument would back that up. While ants <a href="https://www.quora.com/Do-ants-have-brains" rel="nofollow noreferrer">do have brains</a>, the structure of their brains is very different from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neocortex" rel="nofollow noreferrer">brain of a mammal</a>. Most people would say that a human has consciousness; from experience for one thing. How about a killer whale, a monkey, or even a human infant? There might be less of a consensus in these cases. In my opinion, we should err on the side of consciousness whenever possible.</p>

<p>Lastly, I get what you're saying with the computer analogy, but the human brain is <strong>so</strong> much more complex than a computer and it definitely works differently than any kind of man made computer. Even <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/412700/building-a-brain-on-a-silicon-chip/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">some of the new chips</a> that are built to mimic networks of neurons are missing a lot of what is going on in vivo. There are interactions occurring between living neurons that aren't fully understood yet. A more accurate analogy would be that the human brain is like a high-end future computer-like object and an ant nervous system is like a very low-end future computer-like object. One difference between high-end and low-end future computer-like objects might be the ability to experience consciousness.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-02-14T02:24:47.147Z
I can't prove it to anyone else
K A
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-02-14T03:30:02.110Z
Sometimes it feels like my computer is actively plotting against me, but then I come back to my senses. My computer was probably not conscious during that short time I was believing that it was.
K A
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-02-16T17:55:10.903Z
TIL computers are conscious
K A
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-02-17T01:23:44.003Z
You'd have to back up the claim that elementary particles are aware and make choices. If that is true then your argument makes sense. If it's not then your argument is hooey.
K A
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-02-12T19:58:41.600Z
2016-02-12T19:58:41.600Z
2017-04-13T12:56:16.467Z
K A
<p>For example, I have heard many say that ants don't have consciousness but humans do. I have always thought that our bodies/brain works more like computers (inputs and outputs). An analogy I can give (may not be the best) is that ants are like calculators and humans are like computers. It's the same idea of input and output but the outputs we give are a lot more complex.</p>

<p>How can we definitely say that we are conscious and not responding to inputs albeit much more complexly than ants?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-02-13T05:34:18.197Z
Another similar question: http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/10551/when-can-we-say-that-machines-are-conscious
Arnon Weinberg
<cognitive-psychology><consciousness>
Why do we say that some animals have consciousness and some don't?
Sree
# Why do we say that some animals have consciousness and some don't?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-02-12)

For example, I have heard many say that ants don't have consciousness but humans do. I have always thought that our bodies/brain works more like computers (inputs and outputs). An analogy I can give (may not be the best) is that ants are like calculators and humans are like computers. It's the same idea of input and output but the outputs we give are a lot more complex.

How can we definitely say that we are conscious and not responding to inputs albeit much more complexly than ants?

**Tags:** cognitive-psychology, consciousness

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Another similar question: http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/10551/when-can-we-say-that-machines-are-conscious  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-02-12. Score: 1

This reminds me of a [similar question](https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/13210/is-the-heart-conscious/13216#13216) I answered a few weeks ago. Not exactly the same situation, but the leading theory is that it [comes down to complexity](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-theory-of-consciousness/).

I'll start out by saying that we don't know for sure what animals are conscious or even what consciousness is, exactly. In fact, it's not even possible to prove without a doubt that you or I are conscious.

We do mostly seem to have a general intuition of what consciousness is, and which things are or are not conscious. Probably most people would say that an ant does not possess consciousness, and the complexity argument would back that up. While ants [do have brains](https://www.quora.com/Do-ants-have-brains), the structure of their brains is very different from the [brain of a mammal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neocortex). Most people would say that a human has consciousness; from experience for one thing. How about a killer whale, a monkey, or even a human infant? There might be less of a consensus in these cases. In my opinion, we should err on the side of consciousness whenever possible.

Lastly, I get what you're saying with the computer analogy, but the human brain is **so** much more complex than a computer and it definitely works differently than any kind of man made computer. Even [some of the new chips](https://www.technologyreview.com/s/412700/building-a-brain-on-a-silicon-chip/) that are built to mimic networks of neurons are missing a lot of what is going on in vivo. There are interactions occurring between living neurons that aren't fully understood yet. A more accurate analogy would be that the human brain is like a high-end future computer-like object and an ant nervous system is like a very low-end future computer-like object. One difference between high-end and low-end future computer-like objects might be the ability to experience consciousness.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: I can't prove it to anyone else  
> **username_2**: Sometimes it feels like my computer is actively plotting against me, but then I come back to my senses. My computer was probably not conscious during that short time I was believing that it was.  
> **username_2**: TIL computers are conscious  
> **username_2**: You'd have to back up the claim that elementary particles are aware and make choices. If that is true then your argument makes sense. If it's not then your argument is hooey.  

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