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Siliconisation
(Text as at 11/03/2018 20:19:41)
*** THIS IS NOT THE LATEST VERSION OF THIS NOTE ***
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Plug Note1
- “Siliconisation” is a name – there may be others – for thought experiments2 such as, Unger’s “zippering”, the gradual replacement of neural tissue by silicon.
- This is a subtle argument. We don’t – of course – know whether this TE is metaphysically possible. We don’t know whether silicon can sustain consciousness3, though functionalists4 assume that it can. Gradually, it is said, we no longer have a human animal5, but one that will – behaviourally at least – will be indistinguishable from one.
- I think the situation is best viewed as an increasingly mutilated human animal with an ever-growing prosthesis. I doubt that the silicon would maintain phenomenal consciousness, but just be a “zombie6” simulacrum.
- Any replacement that would maintain phenomenal consciousness would be indistinguishable from natural part-replacement. But I think this is a contingent, empirical matter, a long way off from an answer.
- Works on this topic that I’ve actually read7, include8 the following:-
- A reading list (where not covered elsewhere) might start with:-
- This is mostly a place-holder9. Currently, just see the categorised reading-list.
In-Page Footnotes
Footnote 1:
- A number of my philosophical Notes are “promissory notes” currently only listing the books and papers (if any) I possess on the topic concerned.
- I’ve decided to add some text – whether by way of motivation, or something more substantive – for all these identified topics related to my Thesis.
- As I want to do this fairly quickly, the text may be confused or show surprising ignorance.
- The reader (if such exists) will have to bear with me, and display the principle of charity while this footnote exists.
Footnote 7:
- Frequently I’ll have made copious marginal annotations, and sometimes have written up a review-note.
- In the former case, I intend to transfer the annotations into electronic form as soon as I can find the time.
- In the latter case, I will have remarked on the fact against the citation, and will integrate the comments into this Note in due course.
- My intention is to incorporate into these Notes comments on material I’ve already read rather than engage with unread material at this stage.
Footnote 8:
- I may have read others in between updates of this Note – in which case they will be marked as such in the “References and Reading List” below.
- Papers or Books partially read have a rough %age based on the time spent versus the time expected.
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Text Colour Conventions
- Blue: Text by me; © Theo Todman, 2026