Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
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From: jqb@netcom.com (Jim Balter)
Subject: Re: Strong AI and consciousness
Message-ID: <jqbD0D0zA.B5H@netcom.com>
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
References: <CzsIwC.DFv@gpu.utcc.utoronto.ca> <3bl2so$5u@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu> <jqbD05Ayq.JFp@netcom.com> <3bvmqs$kdf@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu>
Date: Mon, 5 Dec 1994 22:54:46 GMT
Lines: 28

In article <3bvmqs$kdf@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu>, Jeff Smith <smithjj@cat.com> wrote:
>In article <jqbD05Ayq.JFp@netcom.com>, jqb@netcom.com (Jim Balter) writes:
>|> In article <3bl2so$5u@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu>, Jeff Smith <smithjj@cat.com> wrote:
>snip
>|> >This is a very interesting point of view.  My own belief is that every fact
>|> >is ultimately verifiable.  Reality to me consists of everything that exists,
>|> >whether I can know it or not, at all times.  Certainly your view is simpler,
>|> >but I feel that much of the unexplained in our universe can be explained
>|> >through what we can not directly verify.
>|> >
>|> >How can I believe that every fact is ultimately verifiable?  In one of 
>|> >two ways: 1) God exists and knows every fact and can give any one of them 
>|> >to us. 2) Since many do not believe in such a God, the alternate tack is
>|> >the belief it is possible for some intelligence in the universe can at
>|> >some point in time know how the universe works, and gather all the informa-
>|> >tion contained in the universe at all times, and thus provide verification.
>|> 
>|> How are you going to verify facts about God?  How can this intelligence
>|> *know* how the universe works without verifying this "knowledge"?
>I intend to ask God and I expect him to answer.  This seems to be getting
>a bit far afield from c.a.p, but I could be wrong.

Actually, question begging seems quite at home here.



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<J Q B>
