[ExI] The alleged existence of consciousness

Spencer Campbell lacertilian at gmail.com
Tue Feb 16 02:01:36 UTC 2010


Gordon Swobe <gts_2000 at yahoo.com>:
> To deny the existence of consciousness one must deny one's own awareness of one's own experience. Some muddled thinkers try to do this. I find it hard to take them seriously.

To deny consciousness in general, yes. To deny a specific case of
consciousness, no. We've been over this!

I can't deny that I myself am conscious (according to Pollock). Such
would be irresponsible at best. However, I can easily deny that my
computer is conscious; maybe not as easily as Searle, but still pretty
easily. By exactly the same token, I can deny that you (the reader)
are conscious.

For this thread only, consider me a solipsist. I hold that only
Spencer Campbell brains are capable of sustaining consciousness. I
grant that other human brains are similar to Spencer Campbell brains,
in precisely the same way that a correctly-programmed digital computer
is similar to SC brains, but I reject the notion that they generate
even the most rudimentary of subjective experiences.

What logic could you possibly bring to bear on a person with this set
of beliefs?

Call me irrational if you will, but you can't call me illogical.
Solipsism is a self-consistent position. I don't want it to be, so I
would appreciate it if someone could show me otherwise, but I am
presently convinced that it is.

Have I gone over my eight-post limit today? I should start keeping
track of that.



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