“CONSCIOUSNESS…OUR HUMANITY BEGINS AND ENDS WITH CONSCIOUS LIFE, CONSCIOUSNESS. IT IS THIS THEN THAT OPENS THE DOOR TO ALL THE REST AND IT IS HOW WE USE ALL THE REST THAT SERVES FINAL JUDGEMENT ON WHETHER THAT CONSCIOUSNESS WAS A GIFT OR A TEST THAT WE HAVE FAILED.”

The above is a quote from the ending of a series of lectures on consciousness by Daniel N. Robinson, Ph.D. presented by the Great Courses. Over 12 lectures Dr. Robinson carefully laid out the fact that we do not know what consciousness is and yet know how critical it is to who we are as living beings with a capacity to use judgment and to know what is right and what is wrong. It seems right to value and protect living creatures, even if they ask to be mistreated. It is consciousness that defines us and how we use what consciousness opens up to us that will reveal if we have used our consciousness for the good of others or not. It seems that our consciousness is who we are and allows us to make choices that define who we are including our uniqueness among living things and the profound responsibility we have as we interact with others who are also living. It is amazing that we still do not know what consciousness is and yet we do know how critical it is to who we are as homo sapiens, sapiens.