On 8/8/2011 5:53 PM, Stathis Papaioannou wrote:
On Tue, Aug 9, 2011 at 4:19 AM, meekerdb<meeke...@verizon.net> wrote:
I think so too. But that doesn't show that some different arrangement of
functions in the brain could not produce a qualitatively different kind of
consciousness. Indeed it seems that sociopaths, for example, are different
in lacking an empathy "module" in their brain. Some people claim that the
ability to understand higher mathematics is "built-in" and some people have
it an some don't. If we build more an more intelligent, autonomous Mars
Rovers I think we will necessarily instantiate consciousness - but not
consciousness like our own. So I'm interested in the question of how we can
know how similar and in what ways?
The only way to guarantee identical consciousness would be to
replicate behaviour perfectly. Two entities that produce the same
outputs for all inputs would have the same consciousness.
That's what I'm questioning. At what level are "input", "output", and
"behavior" defined? Does it include a slight twitch of the eye? a
change in a hormone level in the blood? a transmission via this nerve
instead of that? Does the "behavior" only have to be similar enough to
fool the attentive observer, or does it have to be the same all the way
down to neuron, or sub-neuron level. I'm content to say that fooling
the attentive observer is enough to bet on consciousness. But to be
identical consciousness you would have to go much lower. Maybe even to
neuron level.
Brent
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