I think we need a better theory of consciousness. How it emerges, what it means, that kind of stuff. I’m reminded of this classic lc shortform post:
It is both absurd, and intolerably infuriating, just how many people on this forum think it’s acceptable to claim they have figured out how qualia/consciousness works, and also not explain how one would go about making my laptop experience an emotion like ‘nostalgia’, or present their framework for enumerating the set of all possible qualitative experiences[1]. When it comes to this particular subject, rationalists are like crackpot physicists with a pet theory of everything, except rationalists go “Huh? Gravity?” when you ask them to explain how their theory predicts gravity, and then start arguing with you about gravity needing to be something explained by a theory of everything. You people make me want to punch my drywall sometimes.
For the record: the purpose of having a “theory of consciousness” is so it can tell us which blobs of matter feel particular things under which specific circumstances, and teach others how to make new blobs of matter that feel particular things. Down to the level of having a field of AI anaesthesiology. If your theory of consciousness does not do this, perhaps because the sum total of your brilliant insights are “systems feel ‘things’ when they’re, y’know, smart, and have goals. Like humans!”, then you have embarassingly missed the mark.
Edit: ha, I just realized you commented in response to that post!
I think we need a better theory of consciousness. How it emerges, what it means, that kind of stuff. I’m reminded of this classic lc shortform post:
Edit: ha, I just realized you commented in response to that post!