[extropy-chat] Qualia Bet

[Brent Allsop]

Jef,


<<<< Brent, have you considered turning the 
question around--and assuming a universe that has 
no "phenomenal properties"--what it might be like 
for organisms that evolved the capability to 
model their surroundings as many primitive 
organisms do, and then took the next step and 
began to include themselves in the model for the 
additional fitness this enhanced model provided? >>>>

Absolutely.  I think it is very possible to 
abstractly simulate or model most everything in 
the universe with purely abstract – causal only – 
systems.  The only problem is – when this 
universe advances to the stage where we are – and 
start figuring out how the brain works things 
will diverge.  Unless we do an obscene amount of 
unnecessary abstract complexity trying to model 
behavior as if they did experience what 
phenomenal properties are like.  These simulated 
non phenomenal zombies – will not be very 
concerned with what red is like – because it will 
not be like anything and will only be represented 
by some abstract causal representation.

I also think phenomenal properties are a big part 
of what makes us so intelligent and motivated.  I 
bet it is much more difficult (though not 
impossible) to represent so much information and 
motivation with purely abstract and causal only computational systems.

Brent