robiner@oberon.usc.edu (10/19/90)
In article <MIKEB.90Oct16133635@wdl31.wdl.fac.com> mikeb@wdl31.wdl.fac.com (Michael H Bender) writes: >In article <31@tdatirv.UUCP> sarima@tdatirv.UUCP (Stanley Friesen) writes: > > >>In short, I think the distinction you are making between 'machine' > >>and 'human' is largely artificial, it is based on a false > > >Likewise, the arguments "proving" the possibility of constructing >consciousness are equally flawed! (By the way -- how can we build something >we can't even define?) > Let's look at it another way. Suppose I tell you that the material making up my brain is not the same as yours. Unless this premise alone is enough to prove I lack consciousness, nothing else objective is left. So, prove I lack consciousness. Maybe I do, maybe I don't, but it's all subjective anyway. Why not let another machine decide if a machine has consciousness. (btw, that's what the space shuttle computers do!) =steve=
mikeb@wdl31.wdl.fac.com (Michael H Bender) (10/20/90)
> In article <27608@usc.edu> robiner@oberon.usc.edu writes: > > In article <MIKEB.90Oct16133635@wdl31.wdl.fac.com> > mikeb@wdl31.wdl.fac.com (Michael H Bender) writes: > >In article <31@tdatirv.UUCP> sarima@tdatirv.UUCP > (Stanley Friesen) writes: > > > > >>In short, I think the distinction you are making between 'machine' > > >>and 'human' is largely artificial, it is based on a false > > > > > >Likewise, the arguments "proving" the possibility of constructing > >consciousness are equally flawed! (By the way - how can we build something > >we can't even define?) > > > > Let's look at it another way. Suppose I tell you that the material making > up my brain is not the same as yours. Unless this premise alone is enough > to prove I lack consciousness, nothing else objective is left. > > So, prove I lack consciousness. Maybe I do, maybe I don't, but it's > all subjective anyway. Why not let another machine decide if a machine > has consciousness. (btw, that's what the space shuttle computers do!) > > =steve= I agree whole-heartedly -- either we can come up with a useful definition of consciousness, or else we should stop arguing whether machines can or can't have "it". However, that does not mean that we should ignore the subject. I think it would be very useful to come up with a meaningful definition of consciousness (or at least human consciousness) because (1) It believe it plays a critical part in our intelligence and (2) By understanding it, we may improve our understanding of how computers can be used effectively. Mike Bender