Philosophy Now Forum

In fact, I would go as far as to say that if you take a perspective of the "objective observer" who sees all then the whole universe is one. unity. There is no individuation possible there. It's a complete system. To break it down into "parts" IS to display subjective values. I ...

No I am not. Actually you were. When we say that quantum states correlate we're not talking about the quantum particles' ability to draw correlations. We're talking about the fact that the two are in a causal relationship. It's debatable whether they are in a causal relationship. I am only happy to...

That's a good point to make. It is indeed the ability to draw correlations that determines whether or not any particular candidate has the ability to form and/or have thought/belief. On my view, that line cannot be arbitrarily drawn because we're not the ones drawing it. Akin to the reasoning behin...

Language is one of several symbolic media of communication. It's impossible to think as humans think without the ability to symbolise categories(frames, models, heuristics). Yes, as humans we think in quite complex ways. However, if all of these ways include drawing correlations between different t...

You're conflating being in a causal relationship with having the ability to draw correlations. No I am not. Actually you were. When we say that quantum states correlate we're not talking about the quantum particles' ability to draw correlations. We're talking about the fact that the two are in a ca...

You're conflating being in a causal relationship with having the ability to draw correlations. No I am not. I am merely uncertain about your inclusionary and exclusionary criteria for "ability to draw correlations". Suppose that we have a set of entities X (organism, organelle, protein, m...

Worms are capable of drawing correlations between things that exist in their entirety prior to becoming a part of the correlation. So any system that can draw correlations seems to meet your criteria then? The simplest such system is a one which can draw exactly 1 distinction. It can differentiate ...

Worms are capable of drawing correlations between things that exist in their entirety prior to becoming a part of the correlation. So any system that can draw correlations seems to meet your criteria then? Well no. The justification for the notion came from our language use(all our notions of all t...

Language is one of several symbolic media of communication. It's impossible to think as humans think without the ability to symbolise categories(frames, models, heuristics). Yes, as humans we think in quite complex ways. However, if all of these ways include drawing correlations between different t...

:mrgreen: You could've just said "all experience is meaningful" - we would've agreed and moved on ;) Why would I do that? It's much less fun, and you wouldn't be helping me to sharpen the position I argue for. It's the content of correlation that matters. There has to be a line drawn some...

Blather. There is no sense of self necessary for physiological sensory perception to work. See the fire example. You mean a creature which feels pain like a worm? A creature whose "mind" (neural system) we have managed to completely digitise? https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-put-wo...

Now we are certainly in dire need of a criterion for consciousness such that when it is met consciousness is had.

Got one?

I personally find the term to be a catch-all for all sorts of different shit.

Some thought is existentially dependent upon language. Some - yes. All no! Pay attention will ya? I mean, fer fuck's sake I've tolerated all the rhetorical bullshit for long enough. Say something that makes sense. Here is your falsifier. Version 0: self Version 1: self <- concept-for-self Version 2...

Semiotics is the theory of the production and interpretation of meaning. It's basic principle is that meaning is made by the deployment of acts and objects which function as "signs" in relation to other signs. Semiotics cannot take into account the way meaning is first produced by virtue ...