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Re:Philosopher Philip Goff answers questions about panpsychism by mannykannot on Tuesday January 14, 2020 @11:22AM (#22046236)
A transistor junction does not have computational properties; it is only in aggregate that they can make a computer.

Supposing that the mind is the result of neurons' inherent consciousness properties is like attributing morphine's effect as arising from its "dormitive virtue" - it does not advance our understanding.

Re:Philosopher Philip Goff answers questions about panpsychism by SubiculumCode on Tuesday January 14, 2020 @11:33AM (#22046374)
Neurons are much more complicated that that, and indeed may do computations on their own.
Re:Philosopher Philip Goff answers questions about panpsychism by mannykannot on Tuesday January 14, 2020 @01:35PM (#22047818)
I am not sure of the relevance of that here, especially as the issue is not whether a computer could be made from neurons. My point is that the premise, that the mind is a result of neurons interacting, is not predicated on a requirement that each individual neuron has 'consciousness properties', whatever they might be. I cannot see how the computational abilities of neurons invalidates my analogy to silicon computers, where the computational properties are only found in aggregations of the basic building blocks, and not in the basic blocks themselves.

Also, it seems quite plausible that an aggregation of semiconductor junctions could have the same computational abilities as a neuron. This is, in fact, an active area of R&D.