A Wogly and a Palimpsest

If a sunflower were conscious, would we be able to tell? If it had one goal, to follow the sun, it'd probably act exactly the same. The sun is unchanging; the learning of the mind would not exceed the learning of genes. If you've got a single goal and a single way to pursue it, consciousness doesn't come into play.

If it had conflicting goals: if it cared about shading other sunflowers, say, or if it cared about moisture loss, or about art, then things are different. A conscious sunflower would adjust its behavior based on other factors, like proximity to others, or moisture in the air. It would try different theories about how to balance its goals. It might decide to cooperate, or decide to betray. It would remember, and change its reactions based on that remembrance. With enough goals, enough possible responses, we'd perceive a difference between choice and programming. In such changeable struggles, that is when its consciousness becomes visible.

In such a way, we are all defined by our contradictions, and how we rewrite ourselves in response to them.