Philosophical zombies

[bennyboy]

It proposes no discernible difference.  Unless we know what causes any material system to have subjective experience, then we cannot say whether an indiscernible difference may be responsible for one system having full experience of qualia, and another seeming to.

If there is no discernible difference between them then we are not justified in asserting there is a difference between them in the first place, making the question moot.  

This is the problem with solipsism vs. pragmatic assumption with regard to consciousness. I believe I have an instinct, that if another person behaves in certain ways, I think they are also aware in the same way I am. But looking at the behavior of infants, I'm not 100% even this is an instinct.

No, it's a fair philosophical question.  I suspect than in maybe 100 years, this question could be taken quite seriously.

Sure, I didn't say it wasn't a fair question..just that it's not a question fundamentally limited to consciousness.  You're circumscribing what knowledge you can possess - that will extend to other things not related to consciousness.  

Wouldn't it be ironic if, in 100 years..we decide that no "just programming" life form or machine will be considered conscious or have rights in response to the rise of smart machines...but that this criteria then get's leveraged against societal undesirables who fail to properly express metric satisfying levels of activity which designate them as "just programming" non-persons?

"Your kid is on the Android spectrum.  He shouldn't be in my precious daughter's class."

Yeah, can't see that one coming, hey?

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CONSCIOUSNESS IS FUCKING CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE. PERIOD. EXPLAINING THAT CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE DOESN'T WORK HOW WE THINK IT DOES DOESN'T MEAN THAT CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE IS NOT THE CORRECT FUCKING DEFINITION OF CONSCIOUSNESS. IF YOU ADDRESS SOMETHING OTHER THAN CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE YOU'RE NOT FUCKING ADDRESSING CONSCIOUSNESS. PERIOD. NUMBNUTS.

I think you're on the Android spectrum. I don't want you communicating with us normal people in these here forums anymore. You're just using all-caps and insults to make us think you're an obnoxious human teen, rather than a cool-minded, carefully calculating Android.