Luciano da Fontoura Costa (1995) Is There More to Personhood Than Computing Theory
. Psycoloquy: 6(13) Robot Consciousness (8)
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Psycoloquy 6(13): Is There More to Personhood Than Computing Theory
IS THERE MORE TO PERSONHOOD THAN COMPUTING THEORY
AND LOGICO-MATHEMATICS?
Book Review of Bringsjord on Robot-Consciousness
Luciano da Fontoura Costa
Cybernetic Vision Research Group
IFSC - University of Sao Paulo
Caixa Postal 369, Sao Carlos, SP,
13560 Brazil
Luciano@ifqsc.sc.usp.br
Abstract
The principal thesis in Bringsjord's book, What Robots Can
and Can't Be (1992), consists in the assertion that, although
destined to excel at Turing tests, robots will never become
people. However, the book provides a comprehensive review of many
computer theoretical and logico-mathematical aspects related to
automata and control, while little is discussed about what is, to
the author of the present review, the most important difference
between persons and machines: the incorporation of consciousness in
its plenitude, including its sensation-related aspects. Remarks on
some consciousness-related aspects that have been overlooked as
well as how they may contribute to constructing a more realistic
picture of the mechanical aspects of consciousness are also included.
Keywords
behaviorism, Chinese Room Argument, cognition,
consciousness, finite automata, free will, functionalism,
introspection, mind, story generation, Turing machines, Turing
Test.
References
- Bringsjord, S. (1992) What Robots Can and Can't Be. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
- Bringsjord, S. (1994) Precis of: What Robots Can and Can't Be. PSYCOLOQUY 5(59) robot-consciousness.1.bringsjord.
- Costa, L. da F. (1994) Getting the Ghost Out of the Machine. PSYCHE, 1039-723X/93.
- Chalmers, D.J. (in press). Facing up to the problem of consciousness. In Proceedings: Toward a scientific basis for consciousness. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
- Chalmers, D.J. (1993). Towards a Theory of Consciousness, PhD Thesis, Indiana University, USA.
- Julesz, B. (1995). Dialogues on Perception. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
- Schodt, F.L. (1988). Inside the Robot Kingdom. Tokyo, Kodansha International.