Ancient Insight

The premise: consciousness is a characteristic unique to human beings, distinguishing us from animals and machines.

The problem:

Prominent thinkers like Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk warn about the rising danger of an artificial intelligence that can "out-think" humans;

dementia and Alzheimer's Disease rob millions of their identity;

experiments reveal that animals exhibit traits that were once thought to be unique to human beings.

The claustrum (Daily Mail graphic)

The Economist science writer says that the answer to consciousness may lie in certain structures of the brain: the claustrum and the temporoparietal junction.

Here's another take: "Our identity comes more from our moral character than from our memory or intellect.".

Yale psychologist Nina Strohminger and University of Arizona philosopher Shaun Nichols surveyed spouses and children of patients with brain conditions affecting memory, cognition, or moral behavior whether their loved one was "still the same person underneath." Their conclusion:

Across all three groups, changes in moral behavior predicted changes in perceived identity, while changes in memory or intellect did not.

Heraclitus said that character is destiny. 25 centuries later we have little to add to that insight.