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From: throopw@xyzzy.UUCP (Wayne A. Throop)
Newsgroups: talk.philosophy.misc,comp.ai,sci.bio,sci.psychology
Subject: To the Bat-consciousness, Robin!
Message-ID: <2982@xyzzy.UUCP>
Date: 20 Jan 89 18:46:11 GMT
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> mirk@warwick.UUCP (Mike Taylor)
> [...the...] viewpoint of conciousness
> that we have is not succeptible to reductionist methods because we cannot
> view the phenomenon objectively.  It is an intrinsically subjective thing.

This seems clear enough and I agree with it.

> [...] but to
> have a true picture of the phenomenon of bat-consciousness, we must
> understand what it is like for the bat to be bat.  Clear?  No, I
> didn't think so :-( :-)

To the contrary, I think this is clear enough... I just don't
think it is true.  Mike seems to be equating "true picture" with
"subjective picture" here, and while I agree we can't have a subjective
picture of another being's consciousness, I don't agree that this
unobtainable subjective experience is necessary to obtain a
"true picture" of another being's consciousness.

--
Did you ever expect a corporation to have a conscience,
when it has no soul to be damned, and no body to be kicked?
                              --- Lord Edward Thurlow
-- 
Wayne Throop      <the-known-world>!mcnc!rti!xyzzy!throopw