Can we go back to a simpler distictintion then, what are you defining "Goal" as?
I see the goal term, as a higher level reasoning 'tool' Wherin the body is constantly sending signals to our minds, but the goals are all created consciously or semi-conscisly. Are you saying we should partition the "Top-Level" goals into some form of physical body - imposed goals and other types, or do you think we should leave it up to a single Constroller to interpret the signals coming from teh body and form the goals. In humans it looks to be the one way, but with AGI's it appears it would/could be another. James Charles D Hixson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: James Ratcliff wrote: > There is a needed distinctintion that must be made here about hunger > as a goal stack motivator. > > We CANNOT change the hunger sensation, (short of physical > manipuations, or mind-control "stuff") as it is a given sensation that > comes directly from the physical body. > > What we can change is the placement in the goal stack, or the priority > position it is given. We CAN choose to put it on the bottom of our > list of goals, or remove it from teh list and try and starve ourselves > to death. > Our body will then continuosly send the hunger signals to us, and we > must decide what how to handle that signal. > > So in general, the Signal is there, but the goal is not, it is under > our control. > > James Ratcliff That's an important distinction, but I would assert that although one can insert goals "above" a built-in goal (hunger, e.g.), one cannot remove that goal. There is a very long period when someone on a hunger strike must continually reinforce the goal of not-eating. The goal of "satisfy hunger" is only removed when the body decides that it is unreachable (at the moment). The goal cannot be removed by intention, it can only be overridden and suppressed. Other varieties of goal, volitionally chosen ones, can be volitionally revoked. Even in such cases habit can cause the "automatic execution of tasks required to achieve the goal" to be continued. I retired years ago, and although I no longer automatically get up at 5:30 each morning, I still tend to arise before 8:00. This is quite a contrast from my time in college when I would rarely arise before 9:00, and always felt I was getting up too early. It's true that with a minimal effort I can change things so that I get up a (nearly?) any particular time...but as soon as I relax it starts drifting back to early morning. Goals are important. Some are built-in, some are changeable. Habits are also important, perhaps nearly as much so. Habits are initially created to satisfy goals, but when goals change, or circumstances alter, the habits don't automatically change in synchrony. ----- This list is sponsored by AGIRI: http://www.agiri.org/email To unsubscribe or change your options, please go to: http://v2.listbox.com/member/?list_id=303 _______________________________________ James Ratcliff - http://falazar.com New Torrent Site, Has TV and Movie Downloads! http://www.falazar.com/projects/Torrents/tvtorrents_show.php --------------------------------- Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta. ----- This list is sponsored by AGIRI: http://www.agiri.org/email To unsubscribe or change your options, please go to: http://v2.listbox.com/member/?list_id=303
