And then I might respond by slicing into the definition of observer, creating “half-observers”, and moving smoothly between observer and non-observer…
Do you have this written down somewhere in more detail? It seems that for this to work one needs to assume the gradual appearance of consciousness, something like rock<beetle<mouse<ape<human. Will this work if one assumes consciousness to be binary, that it either is or it isn’t?
Will this work if one assumes consciousness to be binary, that it either is or it isn’t?
If it’s binary, I point out the binariness is arbitrary, start looking at states of uncertainty about whether there was consciousness or not (or observers or not), talk about video feeds that may or may not be observed, or start looking at disasters that kill the population gradually yet inevitably. It’s… not a very fruitful avenue to explore, in my view.
Do you have this written down somewhere in more detail? It seems that for this to work one needs to assume the gradual appearance of consciousness, something like rock<beetle<mouse<ape<human. Will this work if one assumes consciousness to be binary, that it either is or it isn’t?
If it’s binary, I point out the binariness is arbitrary, start looking at states of uncertainty about whether there was consciousness or not (or observers or not), talk about video feeds that may or may not be observed, or start looking at disasters that kill the population gradually yet inevitably. It’s… not a very fruitful avenue to explore, in my view.