[ExI] Zombie glutamate

[Stathis Papaioannou]

On 20 February 2015 at 08:32, John Clark <johnkclark at gmail.com> wrote:

>> > the only assumption is that consciousness is due to something in the
>> > brain
>
>
> OK, but you have no way of proving what that "something" is, and this isn't
> just because of technological limitations, you have no way of proving it
> even in theory. A proof isn't worth much if one of the steps in it requires
> you to perform a impossible task.

You don't need to know what it is. If it is something in the brain,
then you systematically replace every part of the brain and eventually
you will get to it.

>> >  and then we consider what happens if we partly replace that something
>> > with a non-conscious but otherwise normally functioning analogue.
>
>
> And since you don't know what that "something" is you have no way of knowing
> if that replacement part has it or not. So maybe it's conscious and maybe
> it's not.

But you will get to it eventually, even in your ignorance. What could
possibly happen happen if the something is partly replaced?


-- 
Stathis Papaioannou