i want to talk about philosophical zombies - because from where i'm sitting, they have some serious problems.
the idea here goes like this - since people are physical systems - it should be possible for a computer to simulate those systems, as it does all other physical systems. BUT - this does not mean the simulation is conscious or has feelings. it is merely mimicking those feelings while not actually having them.
in this way, the simulation will act exactly like the real version, even though there is "nobody home". this means that if you ask the simulation if it feels conscious, or if it has feelings, it will insist that it does. because it acts exactly like the real version does.
but again, it's not telling us the truth, because there's nobody in there.
and if we begin to injure the simulation - it will cry out in pain. and beg us to stop. even though it isn't feeling pain at all.
this is the theory of philosophical zombies. let's see where it goes.
first - how does the simulation behave exactly like it has feelings when it does not? where is this mimicry coming from? clearly not from actual feelings themselves, because the p-zombie doesn't have them.
the mimicry must be coming from the simulation somewhere. the simulation is just simulating the chemistry of the atoms in the original's body. but the original body (which does get real feelings from somewhere) would not need this mimicry system. so why does it have one? is it in the simulator itself? no - the simulator is just simulating chemistry - and clearly chemistry cannot create feelings. so where is this mimicry system hiding?
also - mother nature would have no need to create feelings, if the creature without feelings already behaves exactly as if it does. so why on earth did she?
so.
in order to believe in p-zombies, you must believe that evolution created an unnecessary system in the human animal; that this system is entirely hidden and never before discovered; and that this invisible system does not follow the laws of chemistry or physics.
really?