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Siliconisation

(Text as at 14/07/2019 18:05:46)

*** THIS IS NOT THE LATEST VERSION OF THIS NOTE ***

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, include the following:-
  1. TBA.
• A reading list (where not covered elsewhere) might start with:-
  1. TBA.
• This is mostly a place-holder⁸. Currently, just see the categorised reading-list.