Stathis Papaioannou wrote: > Brent meeker writes (quoting SP): > > >>> Every physical system contains if-then statements. If the grooves on the >>> record were different, then the sound coming out of the speakers would also >>> be >>> different. >> >> That's not a statement contained in the physical system; it's a statement >> about >> other similar physical systems that you consider possible. You could as well >> say, (print "Hello world.") contains an if-then because if the characters in >> the >> string were different the output would be different. > > > I don't see how you could make the distinction well-defined.
That's my point. Counterfactuals are defined relative to some environment/data/input which we suppose to be possibly different. It's not so much that it's not well defined, but that it's aribtrarily defined. So I think lz's point about intelligence requiring counterfactuals is the same as saying intelligence is relative to some environment - a view with which I agree. In the case of reproducing organisms the organism/environment distinction is clear. In a simulation it's not. Brent Meeker --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
