Targets all CF
Serves primarily to target all CF positions in philosophy of mind, but may also be applied elsewhere. See here for discussion of positions.
Challenging Arguments (11)
Staccato Consciousness Problem
Would computational consciousness just be a series of disconnected moments?
Leibniz's Mill / Chinese Nation
If a conscious machine were huge, you would only see its parts, not a mind.
Individuation Problem
Identifying which algorithm a system is running is an arbitrary, observer-dependent choice.
Dual Experience Ambiguity
The same system could run slightly different computations, creating ambiguous or multiple experiences.
Lightcone Reification Problem
If the last step of an algorithm cannot know the full history of its inputs, those inputs cannot causally affect the current moment.
Free Will Argument
Deterministic computation seems incompatible with the experience of free will.
Intentionality Problem
Computers manipulate symbols without understanding their meaning.
Embodiment Requirements
Consciousness may require a physical body that interacts with the world.
Fractional / Borderline Qualia
Inexact computation could result in incomplete or "fractional" states of consciousness.
Counterfactual Computation Critique
CF says consciousness depends on what a system could do (counterfactuals), not what it actually does, which can lead to odd results.
Neural Replay
Artificially replaying neural firing patterns would produce the same output without the causal structure CF requires.