Thought experiment refutes immaterialism!

[ceptimus]

Re: Re: Re: Thought experiment refutes immaterialism!

Ahem. For all those questioning my OP, here is a copy of my third post in this thread

I know. I really started the thread as a sort of wry comment on Ian's thread, where he suggests that the 'Newcomb's paradox' thought experiment might 'prove' something about dualism and souls. Personally, I don't see how thought experiments can show anything fresh about religious/philosophical questions of this type.

But this thread might be interesting in its own right. We'll see.

Now. If and when such a robot is ever built, it will show that dualism and immaterialism are (almost certainly) wrong. But as a thought experiment, it's just a joke and can prove nothing.

 

[BillyJoe]

Yahweh,

Maybe I could adopt Immaterialism until we figure Consciousness out, then maybe I'll pick a religion (any religion which offers eternal life is better than no religion), then I could deny that the external world exists...

Or I could go the other way, I could say digestion couldnt logically be explained as a set of Materialistic functions...

(Yeah! First quasi-sarcastic post of 2004!)

Goddamn. Sorry son, I forgot who I was talking to for a moment. Carry on.

BillyJoe

 

[!Xx+-Rational-+xX!]

This is not to be questioned!