[ExI] Do digital computers feel?

[Ben]

John K Clark wrote:

"if internal changes to a part produce no changes in the way that part 
interacts with other parts then they make no change to the overall 
behaviour of the system"

Aha, I think I see now where the difference of opinion lies.

He can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Brent is of the opinion that 
it /does/ matter what goes on inside the black boxes of interacting 
parts, whereas the rest of us don't, as long as the interactions remain 
the same.

I hope I'm right, because this suddenly makes sense of what Brent has 
been saying.

Not that it's correct, I think it's profoundly incorrect, and I think 
there are very good logical and empirical reasons for thinking this, but 
at least it's understandable now.

Thanks, John.


Ben Zaiboc