X-Message-Number: 4036
Date: Sat, 18 Mar 1995 09:44:38 -0800
From: John K Clark <>
Subject: SCI.CRYONICS Solipsism and Turing

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In  #4032    Wrote:

	       >a special non-computing character for feeling might imperil
	       >the whole information paradigm 
	       
Yes, it certainly would. If it was proven I'd abandon science
and mathematics and become a mystic or a holly roller, but not
much chance of that happening.
	       
	       >What he means, I suppose, is that if my example (or any
	       >similar one) were to hold, then the Turing Test would fail, 
	       >and he can't admit this
		
You put your finger on the heart of the matter. If I reject the
Turing Test then I would have absolutely no reason for believing
that my fellow human beings were conscious, logically I would be
forced to take solipsism very seriously indeed. Emotionally I am
not able to embrace solipsism, so I accept the Turing Test 
(like Induction ) as one of the axioms of existence. Like all
axioms they have not been proven and will never be proven  but I
am unable to function without them.  
		
	      >although I seem to recall that he or/and other uploaders
	      >have conceded the Turing Test isn't infallible.
	      
That is correct, the Turing Test has faults, first of all it's
language is rather vague, at least by mathematical standards,
and second it has not been proved. However in spite of it's
faults it's the only thing we have to work with and complaining
about it is like complaining that induction doesn't work quite
the way we'd like.
	      

				  John K Clark           

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