[auntiesocial]

but the consciousness is separate.

Who/what is it that 'tells' us consciousness is what separates us from the beasts?

Consciousness? That doesn't seem like a fair argument.

Perhaps we overestimate the power and persuasiveness of consciousness? I think we live under a Cartesian fallacy. We think we have the power to bend nature and the universe to our will. We think that our dominion over other living things is proof. But in the end we are no more acting on conscious behaviour than the oak tree under attack by bark beetles.

When we plant our gardens should we think our ability to select and nurture the corn, peas, carrots, cannabis, etc. comes from consciousness or our ability to "reason"? Or are we doing nothing more than acting upon the Darwinian program written for us over millions of years? Our consciousness tells us we have selected Yukon Gold potatoes to plant, but what if the Yukon Gold's specific genetic design has selected US to help give it more territory. Who gains more from agriculture; the humans who work the fields or the plants that cover vast areas on lands far from their origin?

You may think growing that NYC Diesel was a conscious decision and be completely unaware of the genetic manipulations it has under gone for millions of years, manipulations that CAUSED you to select that plant, bread it, care for it, and give it far more acreage than it would have gotten otherwise.