Computers as Causal Insulators: Why Simulation Constitutes Consciousness
yeastsplainer · x · 2026-08-08
The post delves into the philosophy of mind regarding computation and consciousness. Quoting another user, it argues that computers should not merely be understood as Turing machines, but as causal insulators—systems that create arbitrary worlds governed by their own rules, fully insulated from the physical universe they inhabit.
This capacity to simulate self-contained realities is what makes consciousness possible. The author uses this framework to counter critics who claim simulations cannot be conscious, arguing instead that simulation is exactly what constitutes and enables it.
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