What are two basic positions on the question of consciousness that Waldrop identifies?
Why is intentionality important to Searle in the context of the Chinese Room? What does evolution have to do with it?
What does Waldrop seem to be saying with his final discussion about the relationship between a program and the computer it runs on?
(And now on with Searle.)
Why does he think consciousness is a neurobiological issue?
He gives a pretty simple "commonsense definition" of consciousness to start. Do you buy his definition?
Then he gives four "features" of consciousness. Do you accept these characterizations of consciousness? For instance, do you agree that thinking "two plus two equals four" feels different from thinking "deux et deux sont quatre" (or pick some other language you know)?
What does he seem to mean by intentionality? Does this explanation of the function of consciousness seem right to you?
Okay, irreducibility and reductions. What does he mean by "we can reduce colors to light reflectances" or "reduce liquidity to molecular behavior"? How is that distinct from the case of "the sun setting over Mount Tamalpais"? And how is the phenomenon of consciousness (according to Searle) different from both of those?
This irreducibility is one "fact," or proposition, about consciousness that Searle lists. Do you accept these facts?
Are there any relationships among the "features" and the "facts"? Could you accept the "facts" even if you weren't sure about the "features," or vice-versa?
Is there any significance to Searle's invention of the phrase "Neuronal Correlate of Consciousness"? Does this sound familiar?
What do you think of Searle's program for identifying the NCC?
Why doesn't Searle like dualism? Why is that relevant to the discussion of consciousness?
What does Searle suggest instead of the dualistic ideas he doesn't like?