On Tue, May 14, 2019 at 12:07 PM Jason Resch <[email protected]> wrote:
> 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? > Not particularly. What use is it to speculate about what happens in unrealised scenarios? We want to know what happens in real life....... Bruce -- 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/CAFxXSLSBy2cJGAzM0CTORagBRFsCKniDFjSJqsd9VNCdwWuN5w%40mail.gmail.com.
