Week 3 - Thought Experiments

Question 1

• Platos cave
• descartes demon
• brain in a vat
• leibniz’ mill
• the butterfly dream
• Fish at leasure
• what its like to be a bat
• philosohical zombies

Answer 1

• Platos cave
• descartes demon
• brain in a vat (computer making all ur snesations and experiences)
• leibniz’ mill (intenrla mechanism of brain if expanded it)
• the butterfly dream (Zhuangzi) (how would u know if u were a human dreaming of a buterrfly or vise versa?)
• Fish at leasure (zhuangzi): we can understand others expericnes, if u dont know my esperinces how would u know i dont know theres)
• what its like to be a bat (thomas nagel):we can understand hiw they work but well never know what its like
• philosohical zombies(david chamlers)

Question 2

All of them are dualists/

Answer 2

Yes

Question 3

Easy problems

Answer 3

Defined by function and eplained by ohsycial mechanisms

Question 4

Hard porvlems

Answer 4

dont have kmown function and arent phsyical

Question 5

MA RY THE COLOUR SCIENTIST

Answer 5

Frank jackson

did she learn anything?

• jackson says yes, she learned somehting new (the exp.)
• churchhill says she learned a NEW SKILL, not info.

Question 6

Plato, Descartes, and Zhuangzi say

Answer 6

our subjective perceptions cannot be trusted

Question 7

Leibniz, Nagel, Chalmers, and Jackson say

Answer 7

our subjective perceptions prove the non-physical nature of

the mind

Question 8

Simulation arguement

Answer 8

Mick bostrom,

1. Exctinct before they get to it
2. Decided not to
3. Were in simulation rn

Question 9

If consciousness is substrate independent,

Answer 9

that means it’s a process that can be performed by any appropriate system (biological or otherwise) – not dependent on any particular substance

Question 10

Sabine Hossenfelder:

Answer 10

to avoid infinite regress (simulations within
simulations) you have to compress information, such as rendering only
the parts where the simulated people are looking (like in a video game)
– this should be physically detectable

Question 11

Hossenfelder calls Bostrom’s argument

Answer 11

pseudoscience

Question 12

• If consciousness is not substrate independent and can’t be

simulated, then consciousness is

Answer 12

either specific to biology somehow

how?), or dependent on some other substance (ie. dualism

Question 13

Simulation theory depends on

Answer 13

conscioussnes having substrate indepedance

Question 14

Life forces

Answer 14

• substance or property that biological orgnaism bave that animates the body andmakes it alive.
• if u reject dualism

Question 15

Gilbert ryles allegory of the university

Answer 15

Catgeory error

Question 16

PARFIT AND REDUCTIONISM

Answer 16

According to Parfit, the identity of an object or person is indeterminate – it’s a choice of description or perspective, not a fact

Question 17

Whihc theory of parfut endorse?

Answer 17

Bundle theory