RE: On naturalism and consciousness
August 30, 2014 at 9:36 am
(This post was last modified: August 30, 2014 at 9:38 am by The Grand Nudger.)
(August 29, 2014 at 11:53 pm)Pickup_shonuff Wrote: I wouldn't say I have written them off. By all means, if a machine ever becomes so depressed as to request medication because of distress over such questions as "Who am I? What is my purpose? What happens to me after I die?" I will concede that consciousness is no more than an organization of minute information processors performing one hell of a trick (to be sure, that is what I think consciousness probably is... but how that is the case, I don't find physical monism on much firmer ground than say, interaction dualism, albeit the slightest advantage that we have some framework to work with).This is precisely what I mean. -If a machine ever- begs the question -do they already-. Machines do ask those first two questions constantly, the third is meaningless because they aren't biological entities - in the same way that meds are meaningless. You're asking for an entirely dissimilar architecture to express itself in a way understandable more as "human" than as "conscious" - wouldn't you say?
Quote:I also think the question as to whether or not this phenomenal quality of mind is more intrinsic to matter than our current physical sciences account for, as panpsychism claims it is, would still be left unanswered. Maybe we need ourselves another Einstein to do for mind and matter what he did for time and space. Mattermind?I don't think pan-psychism has anything to offer us. Not all claims are created equal. We -do- have "Einsteins" doing that btw. Curiously, those einsteins aren't testing beach sand for consciousness, nor are they attempting to understand our architecture as some sort of radio transceiver. They have a good idea as to what they're looking for and where they'll find it (I mention this not because it's indicative of them being right, just that they're doing work on "something" that has a demonstrable effect - juxtaposed with claims that get no further than the claiming). I simply cant place pan-psychism on the same shelf as these. The field isn't wide open, for me.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
