Philosopher challenges metabolism theory of consciousness with RL counterexamples
dioscuri · x · 2026-10-21
dioscuri pushes back on metabolism-based accounts of consciousness: even if metabolism explains some experiential aspects (valence, motivation), proponents must show why non-biological components — reward signals in RL agents, or robots self-monitoring energy — couldn't play the same explanatory role. He likens the opposing stance to Kripke's a posteriori necessity (water = H2O) but argues metabolism, unlike H2O, explains no notable features of consciousness.
Related event: Does Consciousness Require Metabolism? Anil Seth Debates Skeptics(3 posts)→
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