As a counterargument, consider mapping our ontology onto that of a baby. We can, kind of, explain some things in baby terms and, to that extent, a baby could theoretically see our neurons mapping to similar concepts in their ontology lighting up when we do or say things related to that ontology. At the same time our true goals are utterly alien to the baby. Alternatively, imagine that you are sent back to the time of the pharaohs and had a discussion with Cheops/Khufu about the weather and forthcoming harvest—Even trying to explain it in terms of chaos theory, CO2 cycles, plant viruses and Milankovich cycles would probably get you executed so you’d probably say that the sun god Ra was going provide a good harvest this year and, Cheops, reading your brain would see that the neurons for “Ra” were activated as expected and be satisfied that your ontologies matched in all the important places.
As a counterargument, consider mapping our ontology onto that of a baby. We can, kind of, explain some things in baby terms and, to that extent, a baby could theoretically see our neurons mapping to similar concepts in their ontology lighting up when we do or say things related to that ontology. At the same time our true goals are utterly alien to the baby.
Alternatively, imagine that you are sent back to the time of the pharaohs and had a discussion with Cheops/Khufu about the weather and forthcoming harvest—Even trying to explain it in terms of chaos theory, CO2 cycles, plant viruses and Milankovich cycles would probably get you executed so you’d probably say that the sun god Ra was going provide a good harvest this year and, Cheops, reading your brain would see that the neurons for “Ra” were activated as expected and be satisfied that your ontologies matched in all the important places.