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I was about to debate your point. I decided to flag you instead. > I feel like I’m taking crazy pills - or perhaps that philosophical zombies walk among us. B

I was about to debate your point. I decided to flag you instead. > I feel like I’m taking crazy pills - or perhaps that philosophical zombies walk among us. Basically the above is an insult. Essentially you're calling me and anyone with a differing opinion then you "crazy" or a walking philosophical zombie. Literally you're just trying to get around a technicality by indirectly labeling me. Might as well just say "Reading your post I feel like I'm taking crazy pills." Feel free to debate my points but nobody feels good when they're labeled as crazy.

Zuider 6y ago
Consciousness is something that is directly observed. In fact, it is perhaps the most directly observed of all phenomena. The problem lies in deciding how to think about it, and how to speak of it.
- neonological 6y ago
  So? it's still pointless. Gender is observed to. Is it interesting to discuss all the possible gender categories that can exist? No because a lot of these gender categories were made up in the last decade. I am saying consciousness is just an arbitrary category for an arbitrary set of phenomena. Trying to codify this arbitrary category is like trying to codify what it means to be American, or what it means to be Trans or whatever. It's Pointless because the complexity within these categories are purely made up. I'm saying consciousness is the same thing. Is an Ant conscious? Well it depends on your arbitrary classification of what it means to be conscious. And that's the point. It's Arbitrary. It's made up. It's not worth talking about what it is to be American in a scientific paper anymore then it is to talk about what it means to be conscious. Some may argue that an ant is conscious because it feels pain. Others may argue that consciousness does not involve pain. And if you observe this from a very high level you will see the argument is simply about a definition of an arbitrary word. It is not interesting to debate about vocabulary.

Zuider 6y ago

Consciousness is something that is directly observed. In fact, it is perhaps the most directly observed of all phenomena. The problem lies in deciding how to think about it, and how to speak of it.

neonological 6y ago
So? it's still pointless. Gender is observed to. Is it interesting to discuss all the possible gender categories that can exist? No because a lot of these gender categories were made up in the last decade. I am saying consciousness is just an arbitrary category for an arbitrary set of phenomena. Trying to codify this arbitrary category is like trying to codify what it means to be American, or what it means to be Trans or whatever. It's Pointless because the complexity within these categories are purely made up. I'm saying consciousness is the same thing. Is an Ant conscious? Well it depends on your arbitrary classification of what it means to be conscious. And that's the point. It's Arbitrary. It's made up. It's not worth talking about what it is to be American in a scientific paper anymore then it is to talk about what it means to be conscious. Some may argue that an ant is conscious because it feels pain. Others may argue that consciousness does not involve pain. And if you observe this from a very high level you will see the argument is simply about a definition of an arbitrary word. It is not interesting to debate about vocabulary.