On 8/11/2011 1:14 AM, Stathis Papaioannou wrote:
On Thu, Aug 11, 2011 at 1:20 PM, Stephen P. King<stephe...@charter.net> wrote:
Please explain what would you think would happen if you replaced part
of your brain with an unconscious component that interacted normally
with the surrounding neurons. Would you say "I feel different" or
would you say "I feel exactly the same as before"?
Hi Stathis,
Exactly how would we know that that component was unconscious? What is
the test?
There is no test, it is just assumed for the purpose of the thought
experiment that the component lacks the special sauce required for
consciousness. We could even say that the component works by magic to
avoid discussions about technical difficulties, and the thought
experiment is unaffected. The conclusion is that such a device is
impossible because it leads to conceptual difficulties.
What special sauce? Why is it ok to assume that consciousness is
something special that can only occur is special circumstances? Why not
consider that possibility that it is just as primitive as mass, charge
and spin? Why do we need to work so hard to dismiss the direct evidence
of our 1st person experience? Why not just accept that it is real and
then wonder why materialist theories have no room whatsoever in them for it?
Onward!
Stephen
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