[ExI] consciousness - reply to John

[William Flynn Wallace]

On Sun, Dec 10, 2017 at 10:24 AM, John Clark <johnkclark at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Fri, Dec 8, 2017 at 1:51 PM, William Flynn Wallace <foozler83 at gmail.com
> > wrote:
>
> ​> ​
>> Taking off from your idea that you cannot verify the consciousness of
>> others:
>> ​ ​
>> Then you cannot also verify:  emotions, thinking (conscious or
>> unconscious), any kind of mental state, whether hidden or possibly the
>> basis of some external behaviors.
>>
>
> ​The only mental state I have direct access to is my own, I can only
> infer the mental state of others by observing their behavior and using a
> theory I very strongly believe in, intelligent behavior implies
> consciousness. I have strong logical reasons for thinking this theory is
> true but I admit it falls short of a rigorous proof. But as far as my
> emotions are concerned proof or no proof I have no doubt whatsoever that
> other people are conscious except when they are behaving as if they are
> not, for example when they're sleeping or under anesthesia or dead.
>
> ​> ​
>> So, theoretically, you are a solipsist.
>>
>
> ​I could not function if ​I thought I was the only conscious being in the
> universe. I don't think true solipsists exist outside a looney bin, except
> perhaps for philosophy professors, and even then only when they're in from
> of freshman students and are trying to be provocative.
>
>
> ​> ​
>> I think this makes you no different from anyone else.
>>
>
> Yes.... ​probably,.... but..... but I can't prove I'm not the only
> conscious being in the universe, I can only show its unlikely. ​
>
>
> ​John K Clark​
>

​Then I think that I have your attitudes correct​.  They are identical to
mine, and probably nearly everyone else, unless some else in the group
replies au contraire. Like science itself, there is no certainty.

> ​bill w​
>
>
>
>
>>
>>
>
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