[ExI] Personal conclusions

Aware aware at awareresearch.com
Fri Feb 5 02:33:29 UTC 2010


On Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 12:39 PM, Gordon Swobe <gts_2000 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> On the contrary, I most certainly do deny the functionalist and computationalist, (but not so much the materialist), accounts of reality.

Well, sometimes in effect you do; sometimes you don't.  You seem to
enjoy the polemics more than you do the opportunity to encompass a
greater context of understanding.


> By the way, to make things as clear as mud: 1) computationalism is a species of functionalism, not a theory that competes with it as suggested,

Seems to me that { Materialism { Functionalism { Computationalism}}}.
Your "clear as mud" is clearly appropriate.


> and 2) functionalism is not about making artificial neurons, per se,

Stathis would argue, I  think, that such was the point of that part of
his discussion with you.


> and 3) nobody here in recent months has articulated a true functionalist or functionalist/computationalist account of mind or reality.

My central point (were you paying attention?) is that there can be no
"true functionalist/computationalist account of mind..."
notwithstanding the legitimacy of all three of these isms in their
appropriate contexts.

Finally, Gordon, I'd like to thank you for your characteristically
thorough and thoughtful reply to my comments...

- Jef



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