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The triviality argument seems to be an informal proof by contradiction. (1) Suppose there exists a program `conciousness.exe` whose computation is conscious
by charliea0 4y ago
The triviality argument seems to be an informal proof by contradiction.
(1) Suppose there exists a program `conciousness.exe` whose computation is conscious.
(2) A block of iron is not conscious.
(3) There exists a (presumably time-dependent) function which maps the microscopic states of the block of iron to the states of the computation of `conciousness.exe.`
(4) This mapping makes the block of iron is conscious.
(5) Statement (4) is a contradiction with (1). Therefore there is no program whose computation is conscious.
I think the flaw is clearly in (4). The existence of a function decoding the state transitions of iron into `conciousness.exe` does not imply that the iron is conscious. No definition of what makes an object conscious was provided to justify such a claim.
I would say that a decoding function which maps states of the block of iron to states of `conciousness.exe` is conscious if executed (by Alice, by a computer, or in any other way). In the same way, a decoding function which mapped the states of the block of iron to states of a sieve of Eratosthenes is a prime number finder.
- epgui 4y agoI would argue that the flaw is in 5: the block of iron at this stage is not the same as it was when statement 2 was made. Other example: 1. Ice is a solid 2. There exists a “sun” function that maps the atoms of ice into the atoms of water. 3. Water is a liquid 4. Statement (3) contradicts statement (1).