[FRIAM] Dogs, Computers, Joy

[thompnickson2 at gmail.com]

Glen, 

I saw you coming!  My bottom line is not predication but the explicitness of whatever predications one makes.  What could, of course define consciousness as "whatever humans do that seems to me conscious" or "Whatever is produced by a human brain".  But, after trying to do science with such definitions, I think most would realize that these definitions are incapacitating.  At that point, a scientist relinquishes those definitions and begins to seek others, definitions that actually direct one toward the possibility of finding answers.  Thus, I stipulate that definitions are part of the dialectic of discovery.  Neither I, nor Frank, is allowed to say M is the meaning of P for all time; we are only allowed to say that for some set of purposes, in some context, M is the meaning of P.  Are we constantly pressing a head toward the most universally applicable definitions?  You bet!  Do we ever get there?  Not yet!

Nicholas Thompson
Emeritus Professor of Ethology and Psychology
Clark University
ThompNickSon2 at gmail.com
https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/
 


-----Original Message-----
From: Friam <friam-bounces at redfish.com> On Behalf Of u?l? ???
Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2020 11:07 AM
To: FriAM <friam at redfish.com>
Subject: Re: [FRIAM] gelotophilia

Yes! This is exactly my sentiment in objecting to the (torturously defined) concept of definite. There are a number of us here on the list who seem dyed-in-the-wool predicativists and impredicativity will be rejected at every turn, often imperiously and pretentiously. I'm not *committed* to the idea that loopiness is a primary constituent of living systems. But so few can construct a good argument *against* it that I've remained in this state for decades, now.

On 7/28/20 9:57 AM, Steve Smith wrote:
> Perhaps a properly broadly conceived General Artificial Intelligence would ultimately include all of this as well, and as deep learning evolves, it seems that there is no reason that a GI couldn't simulate the physiological feedback loops that drive and regulate some aspects of humore?


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