CF Debate

Fractional / Borderline Qualia

ConceivabilityPhenomenologyComputational

Overview

Given how computers use error correcting code or how any physical instantiation of a computation has 'bit flip' risks, any algorithm can be constructed so that it has only a probabilistic chance of correct execution. Under CF, such a system would have fractional consciousness – for example, '0.75' of a conscious entity or '0.8' of an experience of 'fear' (as distinct from being simply slightly less afraid than a full '1.0' experience). Similarly, if consciousness emerges at some point in a spectrum of computational complexity, there may be borderline cases where consciousness is neither clearly present nor clearly absent.

Responses

  1. Accept that fractional conscious entities exist in the diverse state space of minds, even if humans do not experience it (or argue humans can experience it sometimes, despite it not being our standard awake experience and despite it contradicting certain notions of transitivity).

  2. Reject the description of computation that gives rise to fractional qualia.

  3. Point to precise phase transitions in the instantiation of an algorithm to prevent the possibility of fractional/borderline consciousness.

Further reading