On 9/25/2014 10:09 AM, John Clark wrote:
On Wed, Sep 24, 2014 at 10:05 PM, meekerdb <meeke...@verizon.net
<mailto:meeke...@verizon.net>> wrote:
>> Evolution is only interested in intelligent behavior because only
that and
not consciousness helps get genes into the next generation. So how did
consciousness manage to produce at least one being (me) that's
conscious? There
are only 2 possibilities:
1) Perhaps consciousness aids in producing intelligent behavior. If
this is
true then it would be easier to make a intelligent computer that was
conscious
than to make a Intelligent computer that was not conscious. It would
also mean
that the Turing Test is not only a test for intelligence but was also a
good
(although not infallible) test for consciousness too.
2) The only way to produce intelligent behavior is to process
information, and
perhaps it's just a brute fact that consciousness is how information
feels when
it's being processed.
In my opinion #2 is more likely than #1 but if Darwin was right then
one of the
two must be true, But either way consciousness must be a biological
spandrel,
and if you ever run across a smart computer you can conclude that
it's probably conscious too.
> I think #1 is more likely, so long as we identify consciousness with what
we
experience
I don't know why you say "we", there is only one being you know to be conscious without
even the smallest doubt. And things happen even to rocks, is this what you mean by
"experience"?
You should read at least to the end of the sentence before asking what it means.
> imaging, inner narrative, language (does anybody here think they could
formulate
and understand Lob's theorem without language?).
But does use of language imply consciousness?
No, but I think it is necessary to much of my consciousness, i.e. without it I would have
a different and diminished consciousness.
If so then Watson is conscious, after all the only way we have of knowing if somebody
understands something is to ask them questions about it and see if they give
satisfactory answers.
Sure, I think Watson is conscious, but not as conscious as I am. For example I don't think
Watson could pass the usual test I get when I crash my motorcycle: How many fingers do you
see?
So what's your view of the all-or-nothing vs degrees-of-consciousness?
Brent
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