Within the context of modern science, particularly evolutionary biology, there can be no question but that consciousness is a feature of most, if not all organisms.
Firstly, and most importantly, from our understanding of biological evolution by natural selection it becomes quite clear that the provision of a navigational feature that involves some degree of self awareness is required for an organism to interact optimally with its environment.
It is a measure of its fitness for the prevailing environment and subject to selection pressure accordingly.
There is, of course, a great gulf between the level of consciousness exhibited by our species in comparison to any other.
Simply because the level of interaction with the environment required by our particular ecological niche is incomparably higher. As evidenced by the billions of artifacts and systems that have resulted from human activities.
Assertions that consciousness of other animals is "just like ours" are, of course, wrong. It is merely that which natural selection has honed to match a particular environmental niche.
But the difference is essentially quantitative rather than qualitative.
Furthermore there is a good case to be made for the proposition that, before long, it is probable that we will have a new cognitive entity on this planet that will better our own level.
A product of the autonomous evolution of technology within the collective imagination of our species.
This is outlined in "The Goldilocks Effect: What Has Serendipity Ever Done For Us?" , a free download in e-book formats from the "Unusual Perspectives" website
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