Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!ISAACSON@USC-ISI From: ISAACSON%USC-ISI@sri-unix.UUCP Newsgroups: net.ai Subject: Re: Parallelism & Consciousness Message-ID: <13164@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Fri, 4-Nov-83 00:02:00 EST Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.13164 Posted: Fri Nov 4 00:02:00 1983 Date-Received: Fri, 4-Nov-83 01:26:00 EST Lines: 22 From Minsky: That's what you get for trying to define things too much. Coming, as it does, out of the blue, your comment appears to negate the merits of this discussion. The net effect might simply be to bring it to a halt. I think that it is, inadvertent though it might be, unkind to the discussants, and unfair to the rest of us who are listening in. I agree. The level of confusion is not insignificant and immediate insights are not around the corner. However, in my opinion, we do need serious discussion of these issues. I.e., questions of subcognition vs. cognition; parallelism, "autonomy", and epiphenomena; algorithmic programability vs. autonomy at the subcognitive and cognitive levels; etc. etc. Perhaps it would be helpful if you give us your views on some of these issues, including your views on a good methodology to discussing them. -- JDI