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If consciousness is binary like you state, we can hypothetically remove parts of it until we reach some arbitrarily small part after the removal of which the re
by olaulaja 4y ago
If consciousness is binary like you state, we can hypothetically remove parts of it until we reach some arbitrarily small part after the removal of which the remainder is no longer conscious. This seems like a very weak argument to me, implying the opposite conclusion that consciousness must be on a sliding scale.
(measuring the level of consciousness is left as an exercise to the reader)
- slowmovintarget 4y agoWe do know how to shut consciousness off or suppress it. That's what anesthesia drugs do. Autonomic functions are not affected. Self-awareness and motivated action shut down.
- denton-scratch 4y agoAnaesthesia is fantastic nowadays. But it remains the fact that even very good anaesthetists don't really know how it works. "Motivated action" shuts down because they paralyse you, using curare (or something more modern, I guess). They don't want you twitching around while they're wielding the scalpel. Whether Self-awareness shuts down is very hard to say, without being that self. And it does seem clear that people can't lay down memories when they're anaesthetised. So I don't have any way of knowing whether I was awake when they operated on me.
- denton-scratch 4y agoHmmm. You seem to be talking about progressive removal of parts of the brain, until consciousness is no longer manifested. But that experiment is founded on the assumption that the root of consciousness is the brain; and that consequently, consciousness can be subdivided, like the brain, until there's very little left. But I contend that that begs the question: it assumes that the root of consciousness is material, and it assumes that consciousness is divisible. So you have made assumptions that are incompatible with consciousness being fundamental and indivisible. That is: it's not surprising that you disagree with me, because you've assumed that I'm wrong.
- michaelmrose 4y agoOther than in your body where do you suppose you exist?
- 3g4o53g4o5 4y agoSo you are talking about magic.
- GoblinSlayer 4y agoThe animal world presents varying degree of consciousness from worms to humans. That's apparently evidence that consciousness is a spectrum.
- feet 4y agoHow is it neasured
- 3g4o53g4o5 4y agoNo need because some one just said that consciousness is not a thing that can be measured, HA HA.
- denton-scratch 4y agoHow can the state of consciousness of a worm be evidence for anything, if you can't observe the worm's state of consciousness?
- 3g4o53g4o5 4y agoFirst prove that you have consciousness, then we can talk.
- GoblinSlayer 4y agoYou can infer worm's state of consciousness by observing its behavior, like for humans.
- 4y ago