"Behaviorally aware" is a term I'm using to talk about consciousness without invoking the "hard problem of consciousness".
The brain is a structure which takes various inputs, does a bunch of operations to them, and produces various outputs. We can see how that works, and to some extents we can make machines that do the same.
Why call this "consciousness"? Pretty much any machine that we make takes various inputs, does a bunch of operations to them, and produces various outputs. Is my computer (my real computer, not an imaginary one programmed with an imaginary AI) "behaviourally aware"? It even runs tests on itself and reports the results.
I don't think it useful to broaden the definition of "conscious" to include things that are clearly not "conscious" (in the meaning it normally has). This doesn't let you talk about consciousness without invoking the "hard problem of consciousness". It lets you talk about something completely different that you are calling by the same name, without invoking the "hard problem of consciousness".
A lot of discussion on the subject consists of people writing their conclusion in different words and using it as an argument for their conclusion.
I think this is because this is primarily a matter of definition. The "answer" to the "hard problem" is decidedly not empirical and purely philosophical.
The problem is clearly an empirical one. We are aware, seek an explanation, but have not found one.
Is my computer (my real computer, not an imaginary one programmed with an imaginary AI) "behaviourally aware"? It even runs tests on itself and reports the results.
Yes, actually? To the extent that a worm is aware.
We don't normally use the word "aware" to describe it, but what it's doing seems very, very close to the things we do describe with the word awareness.
The problem is clearly an empirical one.
Then I've misunderstood your claim. The Hard Problem of Consciousness as popularly understood is that even if we understand all t...
I've read a fair amount on Less Wrong and can't recall much said about the plausibility of some sort of afterlife. What do you guys think about it? Is there some sort of consensus?
Here's my take:
Edit: People in the comments have just taken it as a given that consciousness resides solely in the brain without explaining why they think this. My point in this post is that I don't see why we have reason to reject the 3 possibilities above. If you reject the idea that consciousness could reside outside of the brain, please explain why.