From: Hagbard Celine (hagbard@ix.netcom.com)
Date: Sun Jul 13 1997 - 09:12:27 MDT
Hara Ra wrote:
> = Definition: Consciousness
>
> = A system is conscious if:
>
> = 1. It is capable of lingusitic communication (it can talk)
> = 2. It can discuss its own existence (it knows it exists)
Why does the ability to talk have anything to do with consciousness? A
computer can talk, but someone with cerebral palsy might not be so able.
Hobbes (?) would agree that the use of language is what separates man
from animal. I don't think he went so far as to say it is what makes us
conscious.
As far as the second criteria, I agree that self-awareness is necessary
to consciousness, indeed I think it is the definition of consciousness.
In order to be self-aware, a system must have two things 1) will and 2)
power.
Will is the ability to self-direct (L. volo) according to one's own
self-interest.
Power is the abilitiy to warp (L. inflecto) the normal course of events.
If something exists it by definition must have a certain measure of
power.
> = -------------------------
> = The second condition is the tough one, of course. Let me propose a
> = Turing style test by saying that a human using a teletype could not
> = distinguish between a human (or other system presumed to be known as
> = conscious) and the system under test, with the discussion limited to
> the
> = topics we usually consider to be "about consciousness". If that is too
> = general, how about "experience of existence".
So a system is self-aware if it can discuss its experiences? I think the
more distilled version of this is if a system can understand and use the
first person singular. I think, I feel, I did, I was, etc.
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