[ExI] What is Consciousness?

[Jason Resch]

On Tue, Mar 21, 2023, 2:55 AM Gordon Swobe <gordon.swobe at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> On Tue, Mar 21, 2023 at 12:21 AM Jason Resch <jasonresch at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Intentionality was popular for a time, but I think it's fallen out of
>> favor recently.
>>
>
> I have no idea why or what that could possibly mean.
>

I mean as a term used by philosophers. Most simply use "consciousness"
today, rather than "intentionality." I know Searle was fond of using the
term intentionality. Is it his arguments that have convinced you computers
can't be conscious?


Intentionality is having something in mind. You are reading this sentence
> and presumably have it in mind, so you have intentionality.
>

What about when a LLM reads this sentence?


>
>> I tend to agree with Dennett here:
>>
>
> I'm not surprised. Most people who disagree with me agree with Dennett. :-)
>
>  > We don't even understand [consciousness] "in humans"...
>
> I am saying that we do understand it.
>

We do, but only in a single case: oneself.

Humanity is too broad a category because I do not know how any other human
experiences the world. Nor does any other human have access to states of
consciousness outside their own personal case.

It is primary and staring us in the face every waking moment. Too bad
> philosophers have made a mess of it, especially those straining logic and
> reason to promote the idea that digital computers can have consciousness.
>

I came to this position through logic and reason. I was initially a dualist.

Jason
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