On 3 April 2012 00:31, Stathis Papaioannou <[email protected]> wrote:
> Dick could have the same doubts about any medical treatment short of > total brain replacement. Perhaps taking perindopril for hypertension > turns people into zombies. The "same" doubts? Really? David > On Mon, Apr 2, 2012 at 2:12 AM, David Nyman <[email protected]> wrote: >> On 1 April 2012 16:48, Bruno Marchal <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> David, if Dick does not have the impression that Harry has became a sort of >>> zombie of some kind, for a time, I would suggest he trusts Harry and his >>> doctor. If he is prepared to bet on comp. Once he bet on comp, the nature of >>> the ultimate consituants of what do the computation, relatively to its usual >>> environments, does not matter. >> >> Yes, once one has bet on comp, the distinction between "software" and >> "hardware" is one of relative level rather than fundamental ontology. >> You appear to confirm my thought that the best evidence that the >> replacement brain implements the right computation is its behaviour, >> and hence that of the recipient. So Dick can only rely on his >> assessment of Harry's behaviour to give him confidence for his own bet >> on this particular doctor's expertise. However, given the potential >> for getting the substitution level wrong in some way, and the finite >> nature of any possible test, just how much can Dick trust that his >> friend hasn't been affected in some hard-to-detect way, despite all >> his assurances to the contrary? As you observe, this may well become >> a pragmatic, as opposed to merely philosophical, issue in the >> not-too-distant future. Suffice it to say, I'm unlikely to be an >> early adopter! > > Dick could have the same doubts about any medical treatment short of > total brain replacement. Perhaps taking perindopril for hypertension > turns people into zombies. > > > -- > Stathis Papaioannou > > -- > 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?hl=en. > -- 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?hl=en.
