perspectivephilosophical
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Computational functionalists argue that the mind is to the brain as software is to hardware. If the computations of a brain are duplicated in silicon, the machine must be conscious. Denying this simply because the substrate is silicon rather than carbon is viewed as a form of biological bias, sometimes called carbon chauvinism.
controversy
Supporting arguments
- Consciousness is a set of functional relationships, not a material
- Multiple realizability suggests minds can run on different hardwares
- If behavior is identical, denying internal experience is unscientific
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