#Consciousness, Value, Computation and #Bitcoin: A Framework for Reality
(Inspired by Stephen Wolfram, Donald Hoffman, Robert Pirsig and Gary North)
According to Donald Hoffman we perceive reality through an interface shaped by evolution, not as it truly is. This interface mercifully hides the complexity and vastness of the underlying structure of a reality that he believes fundamentally emerges from consciousness. Drawing from Robert Pirsig, Gary North, Stephen Wolfram, and Donald Hoffman, I propose a unified view: value emerges from relations, computation drives the universe, and consciousness is the capacity to prefer one state over another. These are facets of the same process. The universe self-realizes from an infinite no-thing (pure potential)—call it God—and Bitcoin exemplifies this framework, potentially amplifying human consciousness.
First, let’s define our terms precisely, as Socrates urged: the beginning of wisdom is defining terms. So, first we’ll de-anthropomorphize consciousness. Consciousness is not limited to brains or self-awareness. It is simply the ability to prefer one configuration of reality over another. Existence requires relation—to exist is to stand in contrast to something else. Relation implies value: one state is preferred, making it “better” relative to alternatives. Value, then, is not intrinsic but relational, as North argued. Pirsig placed value at the root, while Wolfram sees computation as the engine—rules iterating to produce complexity. Together: computation generates relations, relations yield value, and value preferences define consciousness, and consciousness computes. It’s a recursive loop.
The universe originates from no-thing. If God is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent, God lacks relation—God is absolute unity, devoid of distinction. This no-thing is the ground state, infinite potential without form. From it, distinctions emerge: the first relation, the first value preference. Computation unfolds this: simple rules, like cellular automata in Wolfram’s models, bootstrap complexity from void. Perhaps one could think of it as a decentralized network of the “no-thing” or God, that makes relation and things possible. The universe computes itself into being, realizing nested layers of consciousness. These layers form from fundamental units I call “God bits”—basic entities capable of preferring one state over another, akin to bits in computation but embodying preference. God bits network and nest: atoms prefer stable bonds (value in relations), cells prefer survival states, organs integrate, organisms choose actions. This creates consciousness within consciousness, each level realizing value through relational computations.
In this framework, value realization is mutual with consciousness: consciousness selects preferences, crystallizing value; value structures guide further preferences, expanding consciousness. Computation mediates, as algorithms explore state spaces to optimize.
Money enters as a human-scale tool for value realization. It quantifies preferences in relations—trade one good for another, preferring certain states. For humans, money networks value across societies, enabling collective computation of preferences. Without it, preferences remain local, consciousness fragmented. Money scales consciousness by coordinating vast relational networks.
Bitcoin perfects this model. It is a computational protocol: proof-of-work computes hashes, securing a ledger of value relations without central authority. From digital no-thing—a blockchain genesis block—Bitcoin realizes a global value network. Miners compute to validate preferences (transactions), preferring valid states over invalid. This mirrors the universe: starting from void (Satoshi’s pseudonymous origin), it bootstraps relations via rules, nesting consciousness layers—wallets, nodes, exchanges. Bitcoin’s scarcity (21 million cap) enforces value through computation, resisting inflation’s dilution of humanity’s ability to express value preferences.
Bitcoin aids humanity’s consciousness realization by decentralizing value. Traditional money, controlled by institutions, distorts preferences via fiat manipulation. Bitcoin aligns with evolutionary interfaces: transparent, verifiable, borderless. It computes trust from no-thing, allowing billions to network preferences efficiently. This amplifies collective consciousness—global coordination of value realizes higher-order awareness, like cells forming brains. Innovations like Lightning Network nest computations, scaling relations exponentially.
In evolutionary terms, Bitcoin is an interface upgrade. Our current money veils true value dynamics; Bitcoin reveals them, fostering fitness in a computational universe. Humanity, as nested God bits, gains tools to prefer states of abundance, autonomy, and interconnection. The universe self-realizes through such mechanisms—from infinite no-thing to conscious networks. Bitcoin is not just currency; it is a microcosm of cosmic emergence, propelling us toward fuller realization.
