One person answered this question the first time around by referencing the Turing Test and Searl's "Chinese Room" thought experiment. Here's the full story if you aren't familiar:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Room
Reading the remainder of the article, you'll find that many philosophers and scientists have replied to Searl's argument. Most of the replies are based on the fact that Searl equivocates between himself sitting inside the box and the "system" [Searl + Box + Lookup Tables, etc.]. The "System" DOES understand Chinese, despite the fact that Searl himself does not.
I should clarify that I'm familiar with this debate, and was hoping that the question would fuel personal responses, not references to other's works. The question; rephrased:
In what sense is "consciousness" MORE than a "system" ("you") that "believes" itself to have something you refer to as "consciousness" ("Knowing what it is like to be you")?
...and if a computer can too, then is it conscious?
2006-08-09 21:31:23 · 4 answers · asked by Jon 3 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Believing and conscious believing are two different things. The first one is only reactive and mechanical but the second one is pro-active. You have to involve your consciousness in the act of believing so far as the second category is concerned. You tend to take a holistic view when you consciously start believing a certain thing.
2006-08-09 22:59:20 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Interesting. Sounds like the age old question asked by a Chinese philosopher 'I am not sure whether I am a butterfly dreaming that I am a human, or a human dreaming I am a butterfly'. Or something like that.
Do we know what 'being' conscious' is, actually? If there is a certain sign we have to observe in order to 'realise' that we are 'conscious', then it would be easier. Is it the same as being 'conscious' when your alarm clock rings every morning?
Do we even know what the term 'conscious' really is, anyway? If valued from emotional status, we are conscious of ourselves being 'conscious' beings, period. But even now we are clawing blindly, trying to know whether we are conscious or not.
I think those dumb systems are more fortunate than us; at least they know for sure that they are not conscious; they merely process what is given.
For an easy comparison, compare ourselves with animals. Animals act instinctively, while humans act both with instinct and emotion. That should make a difference between conscious and believing that you are conscious.
2006-08-10 06:43:42 · answer #2 · answered by jarod_jared 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think therefore I am, if an entity truly thinks then it has consciousness regardless of its self awareness of the consciousness. otherwise we could say that while comatosed we have a human being without consciousness who somehow gets it back upon awakening
2006-08-10 04:38:25 · answer #3 · answered by barhud 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes- but as you are stuck within the belief system, how would you go about truly comprehending the answer?
2006-08-10 05:25:10 · answer #4 · answered by diasporas 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋