Mind Over Matter?

[bennyboy]

I don't disbelieve in the capactiy of a neural network to sustain consciousness.  I disbelieve that there is any function of human behavior that couldn't be replicated as well by a philosophical zombie as by an actually-sentient human being.  If the universe were purely a mechanical one, then there would be nothing but things doing stuff-- no consciousness required.  Therefore, I have to include that the possibility of sentience is intrinsically included in the makeup of the universe: i.e. that it's no less a part of reality than gravity.

And I claim that as soon as you implement these skills  as a neural network (as opposed to a hypothetical collection of prerecorded reactions), there is no such thing as a philosophical Zombie. What you call consciousness is simply what a brain with such skills looks like to itself. You hopelessly overrate how special consciousness is when you make it a fundamental principle of the universe. Or rather, you can declare that, but it makes no discernible difference

Pretty confident statement of material monism you have there.  And yet we are talking about something you can't see, interact with directly, or even prove conclusively that it exists anywhere.  Material monists don't normally spend time writing posts about things that they can neither see, nor are required to explain what can be seen. That you do talk about it seems to indicate that YOU think it's pretty special, too.