Hmm. I think, there are two framings of consciousness.
Framing 1, is how aware I am of my situation, and how clear my memories are, and so forth.
Framing 2, is that for beings with a low level of consciousness, there is no inner experience, no qualia, only behavioural mechanisms.
In framing 1, I can imagine being less conscious, or more conscious. But it’s hard to imagine gradually being less and less conscious, until at some point I cease to have inner experience or qualia and I’m just a robot with behavioural mechanisms (running away from things I fear, seeking things which give me reward).
It’s the second framing, which I think might not exist, since imagining it’s on a continuum feels as hard as imagining it doesn’t exist.
Hmm. I think, there are two framings of consciousness.
Framing 1, is how aware I am of my situation, and how clear my memories are, and so forth.
Framing 2, is that for beings with a low level of consciousness, there is no inner experience, no qualia, only behavioural mechanisms.
In framing 1, I can imagine being less conscious, or more conscious. But it’s hard to imagine gradually being less and less conscious, until at some point I cease to have inner experience or qualia and I’m just a robot with behavioural mechanisms (running away from things I fear, seeking things which give me reward).
It’s the second framing, which I think might not exist, since imagining it’s on a continuum feels as hard as imagining it doesn’t exist.