Peter Jones writes:
[Stathis Papaioannou]
> > > If every computation is implemented everywhere anyway, this is equivalent to the situation where every
> > > computation exists as a platonic object, or every computation exists implemented on some computer or
> > > brain in a material multiverse. This gives rise to the issues of quantum immortality and the white rabbit
> > > problem, as discussed at great length in the past on this list.
> > >
> > > One way to discredit all this foolishness is to abandon computationalism...
[Brent Meeker]
> > I don't see how assuming consciousness is non-computational solves any of these
> > conundrums about every object implementing every possible computation.
> It would mean that every object implementing every possible computation
> doesn't
> imply that every object is conscious. Of course, one can also deny
> that conclusion be regading computation as structural rather than
> semantic.
You don't have to go as far as saying that *computation* is structural rather than semantic. You only need to say
that *consciousness* is structural, and hence non-computational. That's what some cognitive scientists have done,
eg. Penrose, Searle, Maudlin. Personally, I don't see why there is such a disdain for the idea that every computation
is implemented, including every conscious computation. The idea is still consistent with all the empirical facts, since
we can only interact with a special subset of computations, implemented on conventional computers and brains.
Stathis Papaioannou
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Received on Mon Sep 04 2006 - 20:21:22 PDT