Carbon chauvinism

Carbon chauvinism (german carbon chauvinism ) is a polemical term exobiology and philosophical consciousness debate. In exobiology positions are criticized as kohlenstoffchauvinistisch, when they discuss the possibility of the emergence of extraterrestrial life only carbon-based. In the consciousness debate the accusation of carbon chauvinism directed against positions that identify consciousness and brain states with each other and thus rule out the possibility of conscious systems without biological brain. This debate is discussed particularly in relation to the possibility of conscious computers or robots.

Life

Since only the carbon-based, organic biology exists for life and its emergence as an empirical value, it is used as a starting point for theories of the origin of life in general. In 1973, the astrophysicist Carl Sagan used the term " carbon chauvinism " to illustrate the limitations of human thinking about extraterrestrial life. One can in no way exclude that life has developed on other planets in a very different inorganic form.

The most popular example of an alternative element as a basis for life is silicon, which has similar properties to carbon. However, multiple bonds are more difficult to manufacture as carbon, silicon, and long chain compounds are more rigid and less flexible than the corresponding carbon compound. There are also in the earth's crust more than 100 times as many silicon atoms as carbon atoms, and yet the earthly life is based on carbon.

The extensive restriction exobiology on carbon, however, is not linked to the assumption that the development of life is impossible on the basis of other elements. Rather, the reference to organic compounds is methodologically justified: Over the environmental conditions on planets beyond the solar system, there are few data, in any case, can the existence or non- existence of life not look directly. The exobiology therefore could possibly come to probability estimates by looking for planets whose environmental conditions of the earth are sufficiently similar for the development of organic life. What are the conditions for the development of inorganic life would be necessary is in contrast completely unknown, so that science can make no reliable statements on this. In this sense, as the well known, exobiology Drake equation refers only to organic life.

Awareness

In the 1950s, the materialist identity theory was developed as a response to behaviorism. Behaviorists declare that a state of consciousness is nothing more than a particular pattern of behavior. Against such a position speaks that about pain in a certain way be perceived (see qualia ) and therefore represent more than mere behavior. The philosopher Ullin Place and John Jamieson Carswell Smart declared, therefore, that one should identify states of consciousness with brain activity. " Headaches " so would mean nothing more than " in a certain brain state be ".

Against the identity theory, among other things, the objection of carbon chauvinism shall be charged: If consciousness and brain states are generally identified with each other, so one excludes that systems can have consciousness without biological brain. This would make about the existence of conscious robots or conscious, inorganic forms of life impossible in principle. The objection of carbon chauvinism, however, says that at least one could not rule out in principle the appropriate systems. As a result of this objection, functionalism was developed in the philosophy of mind. Functionalists explain that one should identify states of consciousness with abstract, functional states, which are defined by connections between input, output and transition states. Such functional states can be realized in very different physical systems, such as in a biological brain or a computer.

The objection of carbon chauvinism is, however, not universally accepted, as explained about Włodzisław Duch:

The number of different chemical elements at our disposal is rather limited and no other element can interact in the same way as carbon atom DO. THEREFORE the functionalist critique of carbon chauvinism is not valid: carbon can not be Replaced by other elements without changing the system in a fundamental way.

However, the number of usable chemical elements is quite limited and other atoms can not similarly interact carbon atoms. Therefore, the functionalist critique of carbon chauvinism does not hold water: carbon can not be replaced by other elements without changing the system fundamentally.