Posted by alexandra_k on August 15, 2005, at 17:31:30
In reply to Re: Panpsychicism, posted by alexandra_k on August 14, 2005, at 22:58:20
Maybe consciousness is the instantiation of a complex mathematical function.
But then a bucket of river water warming in the sun will probably instantiate the mathematical function at some level of description...
Maybe consciousness is supervenient (dependent on, realised by) brain activity.
But what is it about brains?
Complex causal relations?
Suppose we replace a single neuron with a silicon chip, an artificial neuron.
It has the same connections, the same threshold as the original neuron.
It functions the same.
Suppose we progressively replace the neurons in someones brain in this way...
Does the conscious expereince diminish as the neurons are replaced
Or is consciousness preserved?
AKA: Is consciousness essentially a biological phenomena or not???Maybe if the function is preserved the consciousness is preserved as well.
Biology seems an arbitrary place to draw the line...
But then what is essential and what is accidental to function?
When a bucket of river water warming in the sun...
But: Would a bucket of river water warming in the sun really share the mathematical function? We suppose yes and there is a problem. But maybe the answer is a simple no. No. No problem :-)But most say...
Most want to say...
That its not enough to have something mimicking internal relations (among neurons).
Such a device couldn't think ABOUT anything.
It wouldn't have mental content
It wouldn't have intentionality
It wouldn't have thoughts ABOUT anything outside of itself.
You need appropriate inputs
(the equivalent of sense organs)
You need appropriate outputs
(which require a body or at the very least a simulated body in a simulated environment)
To learn what a ball is you need to come into causal contact with balls
To think about balls you need to come into causal contact with balls
So no problem...Could we design a device that is conscious in much the same way we are???
There might be problems as a matter of fact, but there wouldn't seem to be a problem as a matter of principle.
:-)
poster:alexandra_k
thread:541758
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/write/20050807/msgs/542056.html