Arlo Barnes wrote at 09/18/2012 10:45 AM: >> >> It's something >> else ... perhaps a type of action distinguishable from other types of >> action ... perhaps something called "state", which is distinguishable >> from process? > > Well, if we are being literalists, it could be construed as the chemical > actions taking place in a brain, or perhaps electrical actions taking place > microprocessor (depending on who we are talking about).
Yep, any of those actions would be fine, I think. But in order for the zombie to have a belief about something that hasn't happened yet, we need some higher order structure, like memory. So, it's not merely chemical or electrical actions ... it's chemical or electrical actions grouped in a particular way, with particular, higher order properties. We could probably even get away with an artificial chemistry or physics, as long as we could synthesize something analogous to what we normally call "belief" or "intention". -- glen ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
