On Mon, May 13, 2019 at 5:34 PM Bruce Kellett <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Tue, May 14, 2019 at 6:08 AM Jason Resch <[email protected]> wrote: > >> On Sun, May 12, 2019 at 11:30 PM Bruce Kellett <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >>> From: Jason Resch <[email protected]> >>> >>> On Fri, May 10, 2019 at 12:26 AM Bruce Kellett < >>> [email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> From: Jason Resch <[email protected]> >>>> >>> >>> >>>> To clarify, let me enumerate stages of the argument such that we can be >>>> clear which one we are speaking of: >>>> >>>> 1. Your brain can be replaced with a functionally equivalent physical >>>> component which implements its functions digitally (here we change nothing >>>> about our assumption of what the physical universe is) >>>> 2. Following from #1, your consciousness can supervene on an >>>> appropriately programmed digital computer >>>> >>>> That implies that my consciousness is just a single computation, >>>> potentially implemented on a linear Turing machine. >>>> >>> >>> That I said supervene implies that a many-to-one relationship between >>> computations and mental states. >>> This is no different from any other functionalist or even physicalist >>> theories of mind. That there are neutrinos going through your brain means >>> there are different physical states, but these neutrinos (supposedly) don't >>> alter your conscious state. Therefore, that many different different >>> patterns of neutrinos in your brain result in the same mental/conscious >>> state suggests a many-to-one relationship between physical states and >>> mental states. >>> >>> The important point here is that only one pattern of neutrinos exists in >>> my brain at any one time. It is not the case that I am a superposition of >>> several different patterns. Think of it this way: You can describe the >>> action of the brain in consciousness at several different levels: The >>> functional level (this brain is conscious); the neuronal level (these >>> particular neurons are firing); the chemical level (these particular >>> neurotransmitters are flowing here and there); the molecular level (these >>> neurons and neurotransmitters are made up of such and such molecules >>> interacting in these ways); or the level of atoms, quarks, electromagnetic >>> fields, etc, which make up the molecules. All of these levels of >>> description are possible, but the all describe the same single brain in >>> action. There are not separate simultaneous consciousnesses according to >>> each level of description - each underlying program if you like. >>> Consciousness is a unitary thing, it is not made up of the sum over, or >>> statistics of, many different computational streams. There may be different >>> level of description, but there is only one consciousness for each physical >>> brain. >>> >>> >>> Hi Bruce, >> >> I did not mean to suggest that there were multiple consciousnesses >> manifested by one brain, but rather my point is that many different >> physical states can correspond to the same conscious state. I.e., if the >> neutrinos in your brain were in a different pattern right now, I would >> wager that your consciousness would not be any different. >> > > That may well be the case, but I fail to see the relevance of such an > observation. My consciousness supervenes on my brain as it is now -- it > does not supervene on other possibilities. If you think it does, then prove > it! > Do you not think counterfactuals are useful in evaluating theories? Jason -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/everything-list/CA%2BBCJUgG6w2uBsiT%3D7AwyD3B%2BrVAuQq15HqXYkLKFNKjKKYSmQ%40mail.gmail.com.
