Can Consciousness Best Be Explained by God's Existence?

[Mudhammam]

Well, if we could replace the function of neurons with silicon chips and organize them in such a way as to simulate genuine volition, emotion, abstract imagery, etc. in a robot, then an explanation might involve the structural organization of information. But then again, some think consciousness requires a biochemical process.

Let's say the cyberbenny 2000 is up and running, and passing the Turing test with flying colors. Let's say it cries and shouts, and trembles when it is threatened. How would we know that we haven't just created a philosophical zombie?

Yeah, beats me. Maybe we'll be able to "watch" his (or her or its) thoughts via projecting radio transmissions onto some television screen, enabling us to tell if they have a "genuine" quality about them. Other than that, we would probably just have to go off the same assumptions we do when we accept the verbal reports of other people. One of the high marks of genuine intelligence, ironically, would be if the robot is prone to mistakes. In other words, perhaps we'll know he has truly received the gift of mind when we tell him not to eat the fruit off our garden plant and he does so anyway..

We're what, three hundred years out from Descartes and have made no significant progress? I wouldn't hold your breath.

And all the proposed mechanical theories since then have done so much better...I don't think so.

I wasn't suggesting they were. C'mon, I offer mutual ground for us to agree and you still got'a assume that I mean the worst! But that being said, I still think the reductive functionalist approaches to mind are all we have at this point. If you have an alternative approach, by all means. Beyond metaphysical speculation, however, I don't see much use for dualism. Whether or not functionalism succeeds in resolving consciousness through the cognitive sciences remains to be seen; either way, that approach will continue to be a worthwhile endeavor.