Consciousness, functional isomorphism and the replacement thought experiment
In this thesis, my main objective is the presentation and evaluation of several versions of a thought experiment that are offered for supporting a functionalist thesis concerning the generation of conscious phenomenal experiences. These versions depict replacement scenarios that describe an imaginary process for creating functional duplicates of the brains of conscious beings. It is assumed that the brain of a conscious person implements a determinate functional organization or structure, which can be initially understood as the abstract pattern of interaction between the different parts of the brain. The replacement process begins by adopting a certain level of functional organization by identifying a number of basic components in the brain that perform a certain function inside it. These basic components are then replaced by entities that may not share the same physiochemical composition of the original elements but that perform the same function inside the brain. When the replacement process is finished, the resulting system is a functional isomorph of the original system at the level initially determined. In this thesis, I will concentrate on two versions of the replacement thought experiment: the neural
Bieletto Bueno, M. E.
Consciousness, functional isomorphism and the replacement thought experiment. In this thesis, my main objective is the presentation and evaluation of several versions of a thought experiment that are offered for supporting a functionalist thesis concerning the generation of conscious phenomenal experiences. These versions depict replacement scenarios that describe an imaginary process for creating functional duplicates of the brains of conscious beings. It is assumed that the brain of a conscious person implements a determinate functional organization or structure, which can be initially understood as the abstract pattern of interaction between the different parts of the brain. The replacement process begins by adopting a certain level of functional organization by identifying a number of basic components in the brain that perform a certain function inside it. These basic components are then replaced by entities that may not share the same physiochemical composition of the original elements but that perform the same function inside the brain. When the replacement process is finished, the resulting system is a functional isomorph of the original system at the level initially determined. In this thesis, I will concentrate on two versions of the replacement thought experiment: the neural
consciousness functional replacement think experiment main_objective presentation evaluation several version think offer_support functionalist concern generation conscious phenomenal experience version depict replacement scenario describe imaginary process create functional brain conscious being assume brain conscious person implement determinate functional organization structure initially understood abstract pattern interaction different_part brain replacement process begin adopt certain level functional organization identify number basic_component brain perform certain function inside basic_component replace entity may share composition original element perform function inside brain replacement process finish result system functional original system level initially determine concentrate version replacement thought neural