emergence, strange loop, and self

In the sentence "I see the moon," there exists an observer 'I' and the observed 'moon.' However, in the sentence "I ask myself whether I can say these words," 'I' becomes both the observer and the observed. Here, a discussion elevated to another level ("whether I can say these words") points back to 'myself,' creating a self-referential loop. This is similar to the quantum mechanics analogy. Just as the act of observation affects the observed, here 'I' - who is both observer and observed - influences itself.

While it's difficult to clearly explain why humans, composed of simple cell collections, possess consciousness, it's worth attempting to approach this understanding through emergence, Strange Loops, and the existence of a subject who experiences these phenomena.

Emergence

Emergence refers to the phenomenon where characteristics or behaviors absent in lower levels or components spontaneously appear in higher levels or the overall structure. This concept inevitably arises when explaining complex systems' characteristics. For example, while individual ants move according to simple rules coded in their genes, at the colony level, complex patterns emerge that resemble collective intelligence.

In other words, when individual behaviors become collective, patterns and hierarchical structures that couldn't be expected from individual entities form, creating new properties - higher meanings - at the system level. These hierarchical structures, through Strange Loop interactions between levels, acquire new meaning at the overall system level.

Strange Loop

A Strange Loop refers to a structure where higher-level meanings or patterns in emergent hierarchies circle back to influence lower levels, creating self-referential cycles. Examples of such circular self-reference can be found in Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem, which introduces self-referential propositions in mathematical formal systems; in Escher's drawings, where stairs observed by the viewer ultimately return to their starting point, creating visual paradoxes; and in Bach's fugues, where theme melodies are inverted and transformed before returning to their original patterns.

The significance of Strange Loops lies in their ability to give a level its own mirror, enabling self-correction through influences from higher systems. This is why Strange Loops make it possible for an emergent multi-level system to potentially become a conscious entity.

In an ant colony, Strange Loops form through the mutually reflective relationship between "lower level (individual ant behavior)" and "higher level (intelligent patterns of the entire colony)." This recursive property manifests as a circular structure where individual ants' simple rule-following and reactions create new patterns at a higher level (colony-wide), and these higher patterns in turn influence the behavior of each ant.

Strange Loops can also be found in how humans interpret language. When understanding language, humans engage in parsing words according to grammatical rules, recalling the meaning of each word, and bringing in their self-awareness as interpreters. The interpreted result then re-enters human thought processes, and when it conflicts with or harmonizes with existing knowledge or expectations, humans adjust or complete their initial interpretation accordingly. Through this process, humans continuously influence themselves via Strange Loops while interpreting language.

And Self

However, emergence and Strange Loops alone cannot definitively create consciousness. Even when higher-level patterns form self-referential loops, consciousness only exists when there is a 'feeling subject' - an integrated awareness and subjective experience. Even when numerous elements closely interact and exchange recursive influences, if these remain merely functional patterns or information processing, they do not lead to conscious experience.

Consciousness is qualitatively different from simple information processing or goal achievement capabilities (intelligence). Consciousness is the phenomenon of recognizing oneself and subjectively 'feeling' internal states. This requires sophisticated information integration and self-referential reconstruction that forms an integrated experiential scene. Only when these structural and recursive conditions are met can we discuss the possibility of higher-dimensional subjective experience emerging.