The Chaos Within: Reason, Emotion, and the Human Mind

To the individual, truth is belief. However, this isn’t quite useful, is it? People believe all sorts of things: invisible deities, inconceivable conspiracies, and idealistic ideologies. Are these “knowledge”? No. The Objective exists beyond individuals; it’s intangible, incomprehensible, and chaotic. Frightening, yes, but we mustn’t give up like the Postmodernists did; for language is humanity’s greatest tool, one that finds order in chaos and perceives meaning. And what is everything but associations?

In the following pages, we will explore the essence of humanity, starting with the identities we create for ourselves and the role of situation and luck. Our conclusions will lead us to question free will, which we will settle. Next comes the universality of patterns and associations, and how we use them to battle chaos. Finally, we shall tackle the question of consciousness and the implications of our answers, ending with a contemplation on the future of humanity.

Identity, situation and free will

Our name; that which denotes who we are to humanity, the soul of our identity. What is it, truly? Simplification. We are mind-numbingly complex beings, each individual an evolving planet. What makes up our identity? Our family, tastes, beauty, intellect; the 'unique' aspects of ourselves. However, what lies underneath is its malevolent role in brushing off the treacherous inequality of birth. Is it not true that whoever we are and whoever we become is solely dependent on where we are born, and that we don’t get to choose that? What does this entail? At the base, everything is luck. Equality and fairness are social constructs; however helpful, that is all they are.

On the other hand, we have our will; an illusion, necessary for survival. Our beliefs control our thoughts, thus, the need for will. Only the present exists; the past is the record of the presents of our ancestors, and the future, that of our children; they exist only in our minds. Whereas we have no power over the past, we can influence the future. Influence, not control, as the possibilities are endless; ensured by the chaotic nature of our world. We are not solely responsible for our outcomes, as there are infinite factors that affect it; but we, too, are a factor. Possibly, the biggest factor.

Patterns, associations and the power of belief

It’s important to note that words are not absolute. They derive their meaning from the contexts in which they have been previously used. Since everyone goes through unique experiences, there are discrepancies in the perceived meaning of words. However, there is very little we can do about it, and what matters is that it works. What is meaning? Associations. A web of interconnected nodes, where each idea is linked to countless other ideas, forming a chaotic network of associations that shape our understanding of the world. Even our brain works in a similar manner with its biological neural network; intellect, at its base, is the ability to make associations.

Beliefs wield insurmountable power, for we are evolving, and they steer the course of our personal evolution. The associations identified by the brain are constructed upon prior beliefs. Therefore, it would be prudent to be mindful of what we allow ourselves to believe, as beliefs often underlie discomforts such as depression, and much of psychotherapy revolves around countering confirmation bias, the human tendency to validate existing beliefs. One may find solace in the stoic teaching of indifference toward factors beyond one’s control. Furthermore, it is worthwhile to acknowledge the utility of reasoned pride, with which comes confidence, courage, and strength.

Our inner selves: What is consciousness?

A dot – that's what appears to be the closest representation of ourselves. Just as dots exist only as a concept, we too—the ego—exist as the imaginary point where the information sent by the association machine that is our brain, in the form of ideas, feelings, and senses, converges. We function as a singularity created by our brain, that which interacts with the environment. Despite our apparent lack of control over the associations made, it's imperative to recognize the importance of believing we have control, as the associations we make are highly dependent on our prior beliefs. Since we are a part of ourselves, and so is our unconscious, it’s better to see us as two parts of the same whole; one mustn’t imagine the unconscious as an entity that dominates us, but whom we dominate with our beliefs.

It can be said that the essence of our consciousness lies in the emotions that we experience, but what really are emotions? They are patterns we found, in our conscious experiences, that are independent of individuals (and even extends to animals). Let’s explore emotions and their function; it would be near-impossible to fully cover the topic in its entirety due to its complexity, but I’ve identified a few emotions that lie at the core:

• Pleasure: The reward. It marks experiences worth repeating.

• Sorrow: Self-inflicted harm to demote certain experiences; unconscious punishing the conscious. Leads to comfort-seeking behavior and helps with social bonds.

• Desire: Anticipation of pleasure.

• Anger: Instinct for violence. Worked for millennia. Deals with unfairness, and acts as a defense mechanism. Often used to re-assert dominance. Has relations with pride.

• Pride: Reasoned pride; courage, confidence and satisfaction. Enhances ability. Hubristic pride? stupidity.

• Curiosity: Desire for novelty; accelerates evolution.

• Regret: Utility is from the perspective of the victim. Regret allows apologies, forgiveness and redemption, allowing the return to a state of cooperation.

• Jealousy: Motivates the pursuit of desires and often creates a desire to inflict harm upon another agent. In caveman times, successful kills as a response to jealousy would lead to the acquisition of desired resources.

• Love: Platonic love; incentive for cooperation. Romantic love; incentive for sex and child-rearing. Human infants are quite demanding, often requiring the mother's undivided attention, necessitating the importance of partnerships. Love can be highly addictive.

• Lust: Incentivizes reproduction without long-term investments.

• Fear: Promotes avoidance of potential threats.

It is clear that emotions aren’t random things that just happen to us, but tools used by our unconscious to ensure our survival, and these mechanisms have done just that. It was what we were most reliant on before our discovery of language.

Dots as representations of consciousness come with numerous complexities, namely the spectrum in between what’s conscious and what’s not. Imagine you have to prove that a friend of yours is conscious, how do you go about doing that? It’s important to recognize that the only conscious experience we’ve had is that of ourselves, despite the existence of definitional providential diversity between individuals. Moreover, how do we know if the conscious experience of individuals with profound mental retardation is truly any different from that of chimps?

The fact that the very idea of consciousness is something that we have only ever rightfully associated with our own conscious experience, and guessed our way through the meaning-generalization process comes with the disappointing implication that our very concept of consciousness is flawed. What we refer to as consciousness is a subset of awareness. Life itself isn’t special—dogs, for instance, live lives just as meaningful as ours. How does that make us feel? Regardless, life allows marvelous experiences, produced by its phenomenal processes, but awareness isn’t life-specific. Entirely different forms of awareness emerge from all sorts of mechanisms. For example, an AI that processes and learns from information in real time can be said to be "aware" of environmental stimuli, but not ‘conscious’, for it will never experience intricate mammalian emotions unless it’s made to do so (by replicating a brain).

Emotional experience can be inflicted upon certain aware agents, by utilizing the mechanisms of reward and punishment. An illustration of this idea can be seen in the famous recent experiment of teaching neurons in a dish to play pong by rewarding them with predictability and punishing them with chaos, as in, randomness. This is known as operant conditioning; the researchers achieved it by simulating predictable bursts of electric activity as a reward and unpredictable bursts of electrical activity as a punishment. Polydimensional layers of such a simple mechanism may lead to the emergence of complex emotions, mirroring how 0s and 1s have lead to the grandeur of 21st century technology.

Implications on morality and the future of humanity

Based on the idea of the singularity point, our conscious experience isn’t an outlier amongst that of other animals and can't be proven superior to that of the chicken we eat. Now, instead of pausing the consumption of meat, how about we strip away life of its ‘inherent’ value? Obviously, we continue the practice of human-superiority, despite its irrationality, for we are humans.

The devaluation of life will come with its own set of problems. Is killing no longer a bad thing? A wrong way to approach the challenge. Killing was never inherently a ‘bad’ thing, for the concepts of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ has always been rather elusive. Killing is considered ‘bad’ because it’s anti-social. Most individuals want to live comfortably, they don’t want other people to come into their lives and steal, lie, cheat, kill; thus, the need for morality. Will the devaluation of life promote amorality?

Inevitably.

It won't be long before biological life is completely demystified. What happens when humans are out of fashion? Predicting the future is truly difficult, but some events/developments are inevitable, awaiting discovery: near-immortality, incomprehensible intellect, simulated senses, brain-computer interfaces and who knows what else. On the other hand, tinkering with life's mechanisms, for example by raising genetically modified babies, will lead to numerous discoveries about the nature of nature itself.

While it’s clear we are awaiting confrontation with myriads of ethical dilemmas; I am much more of a cynic in this regard, merely seeking the pleasure in novelty.

Questions and Answers

Q: Is truth subjective or objective?

A: To an individual, truth is belief—but this is limited. Objective truth exists beyond individuals; it is intangible, incomprehensible, and chaotic.

Q: What is meaning, and how do we perceive it?

A: Meaning arises from associations—a web of interconnected ideas shaped by context, experience, and prior beliefs. Language is humanity’s tool for finding order in chaos.

Q: What defines who we are?

A: Identity is a simplification of complex internal realities. It is shaped by family, culture, tastes, and intellect, but fundamentally, it is heavily influenced by luck and circumstance, namely the conditions of birth.

Q: Do humans truly have free will?

A: Free will is largely an illusion, necessary for survival. While we cannot control all outcomes, we can influence the future, albeit amid countless unpredictable factors.

Q: Why are beliefs important?

A: Beliefs steer personal evolution. They shape the associations we make, influence emotions, and underlie behaviors. Mindful belief selection is crucial for mental health and growth.

Q: What is consciousness, and what is the self?

A: Consciousness is the convergence of ideas, emotions, and senses—an emergent singularity created by the brain. The self (ego) is a conceptual dot, interacting with the environment and shaped by unconscious processes.

Q: What role do emotions play?

A: Emotions are survival tools orchestrated by the unconscious. They help humans navigate life by promoting behaviors like pleasure-seeking, cooperation, curiosity, reproduction and avoidance of harm.

Q: Are humans uniquely conscious?

A: Human consciousness is not fundamentally superior; animal consciousness exists as well, all of which are subsets of awareness. Awareness can take different forms, including non-biological systems like AI.

Q: Why do we consider actions good or bad?

A: Morality is rooted in social necessity and emotional experiences, not intrinsic value. Concepts like justice and punishment often serve emotional satisfaction rather than rational outcomes.

Q: Does life have inherent value?

A: Life itself has no inherent superiority. Value is socially constructed; morality depends on shared human preferences rather than biological life.

Q: What will humanity face in the future?

A: Humans will confront radical technological and biological changes—near-immortality, enhanced intellect, AI, brain-computer interfaces—and ethical dilemmas.

References:

1. Plato. Republic.— Theory of Forms; distinction between appearance and objective reality (c. 375 BCE).

2. Kant, I. (1781). Critique of Pure Reason.— Phenomena vs. noumena; limits of human perception and cognition.

3. Derrida, J. (1967). Of Grammatology.— Linguistic deconstruction; critique of postmodern relativism.

4. Lyotard, J.-F. (1979). The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge.— Critique of grand narratives.

5. Rousseau, J.-J. (1762). Émile, or On Education.— Identity shaped by society and upbringing.

6. Locke, J. (1689). An Essay Concerning Human Understanding.— Personal identity as continuity of memory.

7. Hume, D. (1739–1740). A Treatise of Human Nature.— Bundle theory of self; knowledge via associations; morality as sentiment.

8. Nagel, T. (1979). Mortal Questions.— Includes “Moral Luck” essay; subjectivity of consciousness.

9. Spinoza, B. (1677). Ethics.— Determinism; free will as illusion.

10. Schopenhauer, A. (1818). The World as Will and Representation.— Free will is illusory; actions determined by internal/external forces.

11. Russell, B. (1921). The Analysis of Mind.— Logical analysis of ideas and associations.

12. Aristotle. De Anima.— Learning and reasoning through patterns and associations (c. 350 BCE).

13. Piaget, J. (1955). The Construction of Reality in the Child.— Cognitive development via mental associations.

14. Darwin, C. (1872). The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals.— Emotions as evolutionary adaptations.

15. James, W. (1890). The Principles of Psychology.— Emotions arise from bodily responses; functional survival purpose.

16. Seneca. Letters from a Stoic.— Indifference to factors beyond control; cultivating reasoned pride (c. 65 CE).

17. Epictetus. Discourses.— Stoic control over emotions; rational response to circumstance (c. 108 CE).

18. Marcus Aurelius. Meditations.— Reasoned self‑control; resilience and virtue (c. 180 CE).

19. Nietzsche, F. (1887). On the Genealogy of Morality.— Morality as social construct; role of pride and desire.

20. Dennett, D. (1991). Consciousness Explained.— Consciousness as emergent; center of narrative gravity.

21. Damasio, A. (1999). The Feeling of What Happens.— Biological grounding of consciousness; integration of emotion and sensory input.

22. Singer, P. (1975). Animal Liberation.— Challenge to speciesism; moral value derived from sentience.

23. Smith, A. (1759). The Theory of Moral Sentiments.— Morality from empathy and social sentiment.

24. Kurzweil, R. (2005). The Singularity Is Near.— Future of human intellect and technology.

25. Bostrom, N. (2014). Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies.— Ethical dilemmas of AI and human enhancement.

26. Fukuyama, F. (2002). Our Posthuman Future.— Ethical and societal implications of bioengineering.