[ExI] Unconscious [William Flynn Wallace]

[Anders Sandberg]

Angel Arturo Ramirez Suárez <angelarturo911216.1991 at gmail.com> , 6/8/2014 8:39 PM:
I'll have to agree. Emotion doesn't​ appear to be that necessary for the correct functioning of modern humans, it would be nice to get higher control and awareness of our lower level functions.
Ever read Antonio Damasio's "Descartes' Error"? The neuroscience consensus is that the emotion systems are essential for correct functioning - including for "purely" cognitive tasks. One key reason is that they provide a value evaluation for states: if you have to *think* about why losing your job or spending hours repeating the same mental operation is bad, your functioning will be impaired. 
It would sometimes be nice to be able to turn off boredom. But there better be a timer for that feature, or you will find yourself doing taxes forever. 

Anders Sandberg, Future of Humanity Institute Philosophy Faculty of Oxford University
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