Debate 5 Discussion: Whether zombies are possible: Philosophy Forums

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Debate 5 Discussion: Whether zombies are possible

AKG
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Posted 05/08/05 - 08:53 PM:	#31
NoSoul wrote: Moreover, I like Paul's argument that Kant's distinction between things-in-themselves and things-as-appearances fundamentally underlies this confusion about "zombies," e.g. outer intuition vs. inner intuition. Human beings are simply, categorically built by evolution in such a way that they absolutely cannot exist (in any normal way) without consciousness & "inner intuition." The debate comes down to whether 1) inner intuition is inherently different from outer intuition, and so though it exists, it isn't physical, and whether 2) humans are categorically built to require "inner intuition." What evidence did Kant present? To me, the following... (Although I suppose much of the heat from this debate comes from the debate question itself: Rather than asking "Are zombies possible," the relevant, interesting question perhaps ought to be, "Do any zombies actually exist?") ...suggests that you might mean that since the relevant question was whether zombies really did exist, that you're not so certain that humans are built to require inner intuition. If it is possible for humans to not require inner intuition, then it would follow that zombies are possible, wouldn't it. So then, why do humans require it?
"The only reason we die... is because we accept it as an inevitability." -- Stewie "To enslave nuance to dogma is folly." -- Lord Hillyer

AKG
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Posted 09/17/05 - 09:12 AM:	#32
Posted on behalf of MG Miller AKG wrote: The point is, anybody could. I believe that... Can there be behavior without conciousness? Or does lack of consciousness only make complex behavior impossible? Then again one must consider contiousness versus self-awareness, or sentience. Is a zombie defined by being unconscious (only life support is working), or is it self-awareness that defines it? In that case wouldn't making a zombie be as simple as a lobotomy? Does it have to be commandable or autonomous? Each of these questions is related to what sections of the brain would have to be removed/incapacitated to achieve the goal. Edited by AKG on 09/17/05 - 10:16 AM
"The only reason we die... is because we accept it as an inevitability." -- Stewie "To enslave nuance to dogma is folly." -- Lord Hillyer

jcooper333
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Posted 09/24/08 - 05:04 AM:	#33
logically yes zombies are possible for our brain is basically being a circuit and recently desist people can move after death due to chemical reaction in the brain realishing elections that hit the nerves causing muscle spasms. stating this i am confident in the plausibility of zombies if human intervention occurred but by no natural means can a zombie exist. i also believe their actions would not be conscious since the parts of the brain that house thought would be inactive unless it was manually override then that would be subject to another person consciousness instead of one owns

ManiacJack
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Posted 11/20/08 - 12:13 AM:	#34
I don't think we have the technological capacity to create zombies- thus, Impossible. Some would like to contend this only implies Improbable, but with all the facts at our feet it is obviously Highly Impossible- and that demands more emphasis. You would not dare catch me calling it Totally Impossible, though; I'm too much an expert.
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Paul
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Posted 11/22/08 - 02:19 PM:	#35
You people (last two at least) seem to have no conception of what the debate is about... I'm guessing you only read the title. Of course you can create a zombie with some paint on a robot. The whole debate is whether you can create an undetectable zombie. My argument is that every zombie you create will be identifiable as a zombie after sufficient scientific examination -- it cannot have the exact same brain structures and CAT scans without also having the same consciousness. That's the difference between a philosophical zombie and a b movie zombie. If you create something which is absolutely physically identical to a human being in every way, then you've created something conscious.

ManiacJack
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Posted 11/24/08 - 06:04 PM:	#36
Paul wrote: You people (last two at least) seem to have no conception of what the debate is about... I'm guessing you only read the title. ZOMBIES! Of course you can create a zombie with some paint on a robot. The whole debate is whether you can create an undetectable zombie. Then have you not created a person? Or is it a ZOMBIE!? My argument is that every zombie you create will be identifiable as a zombie after sufficient scientific examination -- it cannot have the exact same brain structures and CAT scans without also having the same consciousness. That's the difference between a philosophical zombie and a b movie zombie. If you create something which is absolutely physically identical to a human being in every way, then you've created something conscious. What if it was indistinguishable from Humans, to Humans; but a ZOMBIE! knows which is which by some super duper cool ZOMBIE!-senses? I mean, how else do they know we have brains in our head? You'd need a scientist to confirm that, I think. Maybe a Brain Doctor. I HEART! ZOMBIES!
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