Psychology

The question about what human consciousness is all about has presented itself from the very early stages of its conception. Human consciousness does not admit of an exact definition but it is explained by many people from scientific, religious and philosophical perspectives.

According to the original description of the Yahwist text, human consciousness is composed of the first testimony of an individuals discovery of his or her own body. Man is a  subject not because of his awareness about self but because the structure of his body allows him to make any human activity (Pope John Paul II, 1979). On the other hand, Karl Marx is of the view that consciousness is how humans define themselves. According to him, it is not mens consciousness that determines their existence but rather it is their social existence that determines their consciousness (Rojas, 1977). The science sector called the neuroscience has been attempting to solve the mystery that lies behind the human consciousness but according to their research, the key to what human consciousness is all about still remains hidden for now. Some scientists believe that they can explain the power of the mind by making an analysis of the brain mechanisms. They think that by finding out how the neutrons interact with each other, they can also discover the nature of the human consciousness (Knol, 2009). From a scientific perspective, consciousness is considered as a biological phenomenon and people must think of it as a part of their system.

What is the relationship of consciousness to the brain
The brain does not give consciousness to humans but it plays a role in consciousness in a sense that it is an instrument that transmits and limits the process of consciousness. Brain processes cause consciousness but this consciousness is not just an extra substance, it is rather a higher level feature of the system that is composed of lower level neuronal elements (Searle, 1980).

What does it mean to be human
What it means to be human is a question that elicits plenty of responses. Based on biological evidence, DNA can tell whether or not something is indeed human (Terminally Incoherent, n.d.). From a religious Christian perspective, to be human means to be made in the image and likeness of God (John Hopkins University, n.d.). Others feel that humanity can never be defined by DNA testing because it is a quality that is innate in a person. Human beings mean many things to many people and these definitions are just some of the few perspectives. I am of the opinion that to be human means to think and feel. This is what sets us apart from the rest of the living species in the planet.