On Tue, May 14, 2019 at 12:07 PM Jason Resch <jasonre...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, May 13, 2019 at 5:34 PM Bruce Kellett <bhkellet...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> On Tue, May 14, 2019 at 6:08 AM Jason Resch <jasonre...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> On Sun, May 12, 2019 at 11:30 PM Bruce Kellett < >>> bhkell...@optusnet.com.au> wrote: >>> >>>> From: Jason Resch <jasonre...@gmail.com> >>>> >>>> On Fri, May 10, 2019 at 12:26 AM Bruce Kellett < >>>> bhkell...@optusnet.com.au> wrote: >>>> >>>>> From: Jason Resch <jasonre...@gmail.com> >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>> 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 everything-list+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/everything-list/CAFxXSLSBy2cJGAzM0CTORagBRFsCKniDFjSJqsd9VNCdwWuN5w%40mail.gmail.com.
