Katia,
These are two of the greatest questions facing philosophers over the existence of mankind. How do we know what is alive and do we really have choice? I won't bore you with the definitions of these things because I don't believe that is what you are looking for. I am quite sure you could look that up yourself.
Apparently, like you, I have spent a great deal of time thinking about both of these questions. How did we become self aware? With the playing out of atomic particles in the known universe, do we really have any choices? Will AI become sentient and self aware? How is it that we replace all the cells in our body, including our brain, yet are able to remember things learned by the old brain cells that are long since dead and gone?
Does our brain really hold memories or do we have another part of ourselves that exists outside what we physically think of as ourselves, that contains our memories and sense of who we are? A soul, as it were.
I think we may find our answer in string theory. If string theory proves to be correct than there are 11 other dimensions so small we are unable to perceive them. Our species sees only a small fraction of the electromagnetic spectrum. We hear only a fraction of frequencies that vibrate air. The entire universe only exists in our minds.
Our senses are interpreted by our brain, but we have no way to know that what our brain perceives is what the atomic particles actually look like. What we call matter is actually mostly empty space, yet our brains tell us they are solid objects. When we push against something and move it or fail to move it, is because of electromagnetic force. This force prevents the particles of our body from going through objects, but there are other particles that go through each other easily. Gamma rays, x-rays, microwaves and many other photons go right through objects our brain tells us are solid.
The dog who only sees in black and white can not phathom photons of other colors. So do colors not exist because the dog fails to perceive them? Just as photons we do not perceive visually, does not mean they do not exist. There may be things going on near every particle that makes up every bit of matter in the universe, including ourselves, that we are unable to perceive because they are in spacial dimensions we can not perceive.
This could explain our sense of having a "soul" or ESP and clairvoyant experiences. It could explain things such as mass panic, hot or cold streaks of luck and a whole host of things we can not even imagine.
How do we know we are alive? We don't. There could be all kinds of interpretations of matter that could be called life, but in the end it's just the playing out of subatomic particles with established rules of behavior, called the laws of physics. Because we are not able to decide what rules will govern what particles, there can be no free will. No choice. Uncertainty, inherent in all particles, means there can be no free will. The future is unpredictable because of this uncertainty.
Great thread.
Love always,
Elizabeth
