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Re: The ontological status of zombie universes 3 Years ago
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The truth isn't more profound than we can imagine, it's more profound than we can intellectualize. The nature of reality is necessarily mediated by the mechanisms of sense perception and is even further mediated when filtered through logical considerations. We can imagine the nature of reality because we are entangled in it; however, our intellectualization of it leaves too wide a gap to account for logically.
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YARN
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Re: The ontological status of zombie universes 2 Years, 7 Months ago
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[quote1254772289=nanrek!]
By zombie universe I am referring to ones that lack any kind of conscious entities. These universes may contain planets, stars and galaxies but no conscious awareness of themselves or their surroundings. Some of these universes may contain the potential for consciousness but are lacking it. Other universes may contain physical laws where consciousness is impossible.
Do these two type of universes have the same status? Does a universe where consciousness is a possibility have a stronger claim to existence than a universe where consciousness is impossible? Does the latter universe even exist and can it have a collapse or splitting of its quantum wave function if there is nothing to perform the action other than an external or engulfing source?
[/quote1254772289]
How would a visiting scientist know if she was in our universe or one of these other two varieties?
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Re: The ontological status of zombie universes 2 Years, 7 Months ago
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If she were in our universe she would be conscious.
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Solitude, my mother, tell me my life again. -- O.V. de Milosz
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YARN
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Re: The ontological status of zombie universes 2 Years, 7 Months ago
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[quote1254851522=nougat]
If she were in our universe she would be conscious.
[/quote1254851522]
Suppose it was a scientist from our universe who was visiting the other two or randomly being plopped into one of the three. From her point of view, would she be able to tell the difference?
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Re: The ontological status of zombie universes 2 Years, 7 Months ago
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I don't think she could visit a universe where life is impossible. If she existed in the other universe (the one where life is possible but nonexistent) she would know that her very existence is such a universe shows that life is possible,
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Re: The ontological status of zombie universes 2 Years, 7 Months ago
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YARN.
Does being plopped into a universe mean instantaneously to conform to its laws?
But more to the point, to be able to entertain the question "Am I conscious?" is already to be conscious. As soon as the question is asked it answers itself. If, upon being plopped into a zombieverse, our investigator discovers a world where there is nothing it's like to be her, she only discovers it in the same sense that a fire 'discovers' air and fuel. She may even take copious notes, and the notes may even record her joy or relief in being conscious, but these are evidences, objective realities, that are only for us to consider, since consideration in the phenomenological sense would be impossible for her.
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Solitude, my mother, tell me my life again. -- O.V. de Milosz
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