Robots, Zombies and Us: Understanding ConsciousnessCould robots be genuinely intelligent? Could they be conscious? Could there be zombies? Prompted by these questions Robert Kirk introduces the main problems of consciousness and sets out a new approach to solving them. He starts by discussing behaviourism, Turing's test of intelligence and Searle's famous Chinese Room argument, and goes on to examine dualism – the idea that consciousness requires something beyond the physical – together with its opposite, physicalism. Probing the idea of zombies, he concludes they are logically impossible. Having presented the central problems, he sketches his solution: a version of functionalism, according to which consciousness consists in the performance of functions. While there is wide agreement among philosophers about what the main problems of consciousness are, there is little agreement on how to go about solving them. With this powerful case for his version of functionalism, Kirk offers an engaging introduction to both the problems and a possible solution. |
Contents
Intelligent robots? | |
Is something nonphysical involved? | |
Zombies | |
Whats wrong with the zombie idea? | |
Whats needed on top of the basic package | |
Functionalism | |
Functionalism is compulsory | |
Is there an explanatory gap? | |
Brains in vats and buckets | |
The basic package | |
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Common terms and phrases
able accept according acquire activities actually argued argument assume assumption basic package basis behave behaviour beliefs body brain capacities causation caused chapter character Chinese claim clear components concepts connections conscious experiences consciousness consider consists course creatures decider depends describe descriptions dispositions doesn’t effects ensure entail epiphenomenalism epiphenomenalists example existence explain facts feelings follows functions further genuine given hand here–here human idea identity imagine impossible inputs intelligent internal involved kind knowledge logically possible look machine matter means memory mental mind nature necessary non-physical normal notice objection particular perceptual perceptual information performed phenomenal philosophical physical presence problems processes produce purely qualia question reason relations Reply represented requires result robot scientific seems sense sort specific stored sufficient suggest supposed theory things thought true truths typically understand whole zombies