Re: qualia

Zeb Haradon (zharadon@inconnect.com)
Tue, 30 Nov 1999 18:38:42 -0800

-----Original Message-----
From: John Clark <jonkc@worldnet.att.net> To: extropians@extropy.com <extropians@extropy.com> Date: Monday, November 29, 1999 10:23 PM Subject: Re: qualia

>Eliezer S. Yudkowsky <sentience@pobox.com> Wrote:
>
> > I really, really doubt that they're [qualia] necessary for
intelligence.
>
>Then will somebody please explain to me why evolution ever came up with
it!!
>Even a hint would be wonderful advance.

Qualia by itself would not make any difference, not a molecule of difference, in behavior. Qualia have no evolutionary benefit at all.. this means that qualia are either
1) an amazing coincidence, or
2) a bi-product of something which does have evolutionary benefit, most likely cognition. It also probably means that cognition without consciousness is impossible.

>
> John K Clark jonkc@att.net
>
>
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