Reductio ad absurdum

Impenitent ILP Legend Joined: 02 Aug 2004 Posts: 1768

Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2005 8:58 pm Post subject: no, the implication is not there... knowledge itself is problematic if not impossible... but consciousness could be anything it wants to be... the default assumption is that the conversation is with another human... but that's the assumption... the actuality is that "I" press keys that turn off and on a myriad of electrical switches in combinations that produce effects which "I" interpret as meaning something... does it have meaning outside of "I"? it cannot be known... then again, "I" could be nothing but a brain in a vat... -Imp _________________ cogito ergo cogito sum ergo sum... "5 out of 4 people have a problem with fractions..." "I really like this jacket but the sleeves are much too long..." - Kilmister

Well, Imp, you've been reduced to making absurd claims:

1) That the implication isn't there. If it's not there, then where is it?

2) That knowledge is problematic or impossible. How then do you know that, or anything else?

3) That consciousness could be anything it wants to be. Recalls the canard, "If wishes were horses, then beggers would ride."

4) Another human is a default conversationalist. Then what's the purpose of Turing's test?

5) One could be nothing but a brain in a vat. Agreed. Therefore?