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Article 3401 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: weemba@libra.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Multiple Personality Disorder and Strong AI
Message-ID: <64603@netnews.upenn.edu>
Date: 2 Feb 92 17:10:22 GMT
References: <kokp5aINNiuu@agate.berkeley.edu>
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Reply-To: weemba@libra.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Organization: The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology
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In-reply-to: jvsichi@ocf.berkeley.edu (John Sichi)

In article <kokp5aINNiuu@agate.berkeley.edu>, jvsichi@ocf (John Sichi) writes:
>{    There exists a set of criteria (C$) such that if a neural network
>meets C$, then a unique consciousness associated with that network's
>activity will exist as long as C$ continues to apply. }

>    Here's the catch:  Even if the complete network is not subjected to
>such a lesion, any subnetwork of N-1 nodes meets C$ at the same time as
>the entire network does, meaning there should actually be N+1
>consciousnesses in existence!

C$ presumably includes details about I/O.  The subnetwork would then have
its I/O partly internal to the other node in a way that negates C$.

>			        (One emerging from the activity of the
>complete network, and one emerging from each of the partial networks).
>Of course, if the network were suitably robust, even more
>consciousnesses may coexist (as should be the case with the brain).

And MPD does exist at times in the human.  Such people, under your model,
rearrange internal connections so that C$ can indeed be fulfilled.

The debate is still open over whether commissurectomy leads to a split
consciousness.  With only half the brain able to speak, one's beliefs
regarding the role of language become part of the debate.
-- 
-Matthew P Wiener (weemba@libra.wistar.upenn.edu)


