Stathis Papaioannou wrote: > Peter Jones writes (quoting SP): > > > > I've never really understood why computationalists insist that a system > > > must be able to handle counterfactuals in order for consciousness to > > > occur, > > > > I've explained that several times: computer programmes contain > > if-then statements. > > > > > other than that otherwise any physical system could be seen as > > > implementing > > > any computation, which does not seem to me a good reason. In any case, > > > Maudlin shows that the requirement for handling counterfactuals leads to > > > a situation where of two systems with identical physical activity, one is > > > conscious and the other not. > > > > If two systems differ counterfactually, they are not physically > > identical. > > What about an inputless computer program, running deterministically like a > recording. > Would that count as a program at all,
It would be a trivial case. > and could it be a conscious program, given that > computationalism is true? Obviously not, since people have inputs. > Stathis Papaioannou > _________________________________________________________________ > Be one of the first to try Windows Live Mail. > http://ideas.live.com/programpage.aspx?versionId=5d21c51a-b161-4314-9b0e-4911fb2b2e6d --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To post to this group, send email to everything-list@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
