tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891434218564545511.post9077823420259308856..comments2024-03-28T19:56:42.305-05:00Comments on Alexander Pruss's Blog: The neural prosthetic argument against naturalismAlexander R Prusshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05989277655934827117noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891434218564545511.post-61347025133493232572014-04-05T15:54:41.207-05:002014-04-05T15:54:41.207-05:00True. A deterministic machine is a functionalist o...True. A deterministic machine is a functionalist one. Williamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12533263841520213358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891434218564545511.post-92013539745249751502014-04-05T08:26:39.776-05:002014-04-05T08:26:39.776-05:00Then suppose determinism is true. It would be odd...Then suppose determinism is true. It would be odd if determinism were incompatible with consciousness.Alexander R Prusshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05989277655934827117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891434218564545511.post-75418995624283186382014-04-05T05:08:54.626-05:002014-04-05T05:08:54.626-05:00The remaining issue which might cause progressive ...The remaining issue which might cause progressive drift from normal (allowing (1)) is the dynamic nature of the system. Any given cm3 of the brain is probably changing constantly enough so if we measured it over time it would show a change in functioning over time that we certainly cannot predict currently. <br /><br />So we might not know if the future changes in the substitute, or lack thereof, would duplicate the unreplaced future functions of the tissue.Williamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12533263841520213358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891434218564545511.post-28693985516632393352014-04-04T09:19:09.403-05:002014-04-04T09:19:09.403-05:00Well, (1) says that there could be *no* change in ...Well, (1) says that there could be *no* change in mental functioning. It would be odd (contradictory!) that there would be a number of small steps, none of which produced *any* change in mental functioning, but suddenly after the last the mental functioning was different.Alexander R Prusshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05989277655934827117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3891434218564545511.post-75122987784642920092014-04-03T15:50:50.046-05:002014-04-03T15:50:50.046-05:00What reasons are there to accept the sorites argum...What reasons are there to accept the sorites argument in the third paragraph? <br /><br />If the sorites argument is invalid, one might expect that as the biological components are replaced that the system as a whole would change (deteriorate) in an increasing way, even though each replaced component would seem to to working as intended when looked at in isolation.<br />Williamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12533263841520213358noreply@blogger.com