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nshepperd comments on Why Bayes? A Wise Ruling - Less Wrong
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Are you claiming that insects and worms possess functioning sense-organs, or that they possess subjective experience of the resulting sense-data? I find the latter somewhat unlikely wrt insects and worms. Regarding babies, it doesn't seem "obviously untrue" to me that babies lack subjective experience. Though, nor does it seem obviously true.
I'm trying to figure out why you think there's a difference between the two, at least when dealing with anything possessing a nervous system.
A nervous system is just a lump of matter, the same as any other. Another object with functioning sense-organs is my laptop, yet I wouldn't say my laptop possesses subjective experience.
So you will have no objection to me replacing your brain with an intricately-carved wooden replica, then?
How would you know if it did?
If you don't think a nervous system is relevant there, I'm curious to know what you think is behind you having subjective experiences, and if you believe in p-zombies. Your laptop doesn't organize that sense input and integrate it into a complex system. But even simple organisms do that.
Your response suggests you do understand the distinction between possessing sensory information and subjective experience of the same. As such, I suppose my job here is complete. But nevertheless:
The important thing is not the composition of an object, but its functionality. An intricately-carved wooden machine that correctly carried out the functionality of my brain would be a fine replacement, even if it lacks the elan vital neural matter supposedly has.
My laptop doesn't have subjective experience. You do. An elephant most likely does. What about Watson?. The robots in those robot soccer competitions? Or BigDog?
My opinion on zombies is lw standard.
How would you know if it did?