Is “sentient” a computational property or reducible to “why does my brain make me think it.”
I’m not entirely sure what “why does my brain make me think it” means, but I’ve just noticed that I incorrectly used the word “sentient” in its science-fictional sense; I should’ve said something like “sapient”, instead. The word sentient is often incorrectly used (f.ex. by me) to mean “capable of rational thought and communication”, whereas the more correct definition is “capable of having subjective experiences”.
As luck would have it, my previous comment applies to both meanings of the word, but still, they are distinct (though probably related). I apologize for the confusion.
I’m not entirely sure what “why does my brain make me think it” means, but I’ve just noticed that I incorrectly used the word “sentient” in its science-fictional sense; I should’ve said something like “sapient”, instead. The word sentient is often incorrectly used (f.ex. by me) to mean “capable of rational thought and communication”, whereas the more correct definition is “capable of having subjective experiences”.
As luck would have it, my previous comment applies to both meanings of the word, but still, they are distinct (though probably related). I apologize for the confusion.