this seems to assume that consciousness is epiphenomenal.
To my understanding, epiphenomenalism is the belief that subjective consciousness is dependent on the state of the physical world, but not the other way around. I absolutely do not think I assumed this—I stated that it is either true (“If consciousness does not have a determinative effect on behavior,”) or it is not (“If consciousness has a determinative effect on behavior,”). The basis of my claim is a proof by case which aims to address both possibilities.
“If consciousness has a determinative effect on behavior—your consciousness decides to do something and this causes you to do it—then it can be modeled as a black box within your brain’s information processing pipeline such that your actions cannot be accurately modeled without accounting for it. It would not be possible to precisely predict what you will say or do by simply multiplying out neuron activations on a sheet of paper, because the sheet of paper certainly isn’t conscious, nor is your pencil. The innate mathematical correctness of whatever the correct answer is not brought about or altered by your having written it down, so you cannot hide the consciousness away in math itself, unless you assert that all possible mental states are always simultaneously being felt.”
The alternative is that consciousness has a determinative effect on behavior, and yet it is indeed possible to precisely predict what you will say or do by simply multiplying out neuron activations on a sheet of paper, because the neuron activations are what creates the function of consciousness.
this is what it means, in my eyes, to believe that consciousness is not an epiphenomenon. it is part of observable reality, it is part of what is calculated by the neurons.
I think I can cite the entire p zombie sequence here? if you believe that it is possible to learn everything there is to know about the physical human brain, and yet have consciousness still be unexplained, then consciousness must not be part of the physical human brain. at that point, it’s either an epiphenomenon, or it’s a non-physical phenomenon.
To my understanding, epiphenomenalism is the belief that subjective consciousness is dependent on the state of the physical world, but not the other way around. I absolutely do not think I assumed this—I stated that it is either true (“If consciousness does not have a determinative effect on behavior,”) or it is not (“If consciousness has a determinative effect on behavior,”). The basis of my claim is a proof by case which aims to address both possibilities.
“If consciousness has a determinative effect on behavior—your consciousness decides to do something and this causes you to do it—then it can be modeled as a black box within your brain’s information processing pipeline such that your actions cannot be accurately modeled without accounting for it. It would not be possible to precisely predict what you will say or do by simply multiplying out neuron activations on a sheet of paper, because the sheet of paper certainly isn’t conscious, nor is your pencil. The innate mathematical correctness of whatever the correct answer is not brought about or altered by your having written it down, so you cannot hide the consciousness away in math itself, unless you assert that all possible mental states are always simultaneously being felt.”
The alternative is that consciousness has a determinative effect on behavior, and yet it is indeed possible to precisely predict what you will say or do by simply multiplying out neuron activations on a sheet of paper, because the neuron activations are what creates the function of consciousness.
this is what it means, in my eyes, to believe that consciousness is not an epiphenomenon. it is part of observable reality, it is part of what is calculated by the neurons.
I think I can cite the entire p zombie sequence here? if you believe that it is possible to learn everything there is to know about the physical human brain, and yet have consciousness still be unexplained, then consciousness must not be part of the physical human brain. at that point, it’s either an epiphenomenon, or it’s a non-physical phenomenon.