Occam’s Razor. All these people seem similar to me in so many ways, they’re probably similar in this way too, especially if they all say that they are.
The little box that claims it experiences consciousness (just like you do) is also similar to you. How do you decide what is similar enough and what is not?
We live in a world effectively devoid of borderline cases. Humans are clearly close enough, since they all act like they’re thinking in basically similar fashions, and other species are clearly not. I will have to reconsider this when we encounter non-human intelligences, but for now I have zero data on those, and thus cannot form a meaningful opinion.
I suggest you taboo the word clearly. For example, it is not at all clearly to me that a 6 month infant experience consciousness as I do. But if the infant does, then surely an adult chimpanzee do too?
Well, it is possible to make an argument based on the Self-Sampling Assumption that only people who share the rare inherent trait X with me are conscious.
So do I, but it doesn’t help me to assess the consciousness of others.
Occam’s Razor. All these people seem similar to me in so many ways, they’re probably similar in this way too, especially if they all say that they are.
The little box that claims it experiences consciousness (just like you do) is also similar to you. How do you decide what is similar enough and what is not?
We live in a world effectively devoid of borderline cases. Humans are clearly close enough, since they all act like they’re thinking in basically similar fashions, and other species are clearly not. I will have to reconsider this when we encounter non-human intelligences, but for now I have zero data on those, and thus cannot form a meaningful opinion.
I suggest you taboo the word clearly. For example, it is not at all clearly to me that a 6 month infant experience consciousness as I do. But if the infant does, then surely an adult chimpanzee do too?
See where it’s going?
Well, it is possible to make an argument based on the Self-Sampling Assumption that only people who share the rare inherent trait X with me are conscious.
Is is a sort of trait the talking box can’t possibly have?