[ExI] The alleged existence of consciousness

[Stefano Vaj]

On 15 February 2010 21:22, Christopher Luebcke <cluebcke at yahoo.com> wrote:
> The question, I believe, is how you determine that somebody (or something) else is "conscious", not how you determine that you yourself are.

I would go a little farther.

Consciousness is a social construct even when it refers to oneself
(and, btw, social constructs *do* exist, simply they are not
homunculi).

And a-priori evidence does not really cut it otherwise. Somebody can
well be persuaded to be conscious, and even be subvocalising on the
subject, e.g., while dreaming, having a near-death experience, or
being under some drugs, even though in fact he or she is not.

-- 
Stefano Vaj