80,000 Hours Podcast #190 – Eric Schwitzgebel on whether the US is conscious
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Jun 7, 2024 Eric Schwitzgebel, a philosophy professor at UC Riverside and author of "A Theory of Jerks," dives into the bizarre realm of consciousness. He explores why our intuitions often fail when grappling with profound questions about reality, such as the provocative idea that the United States could be a conscious entity. Thought experiments like "supersquids" challenge listeners to rethink what consciousness might entail. Schwitzgebel emphasizes the intrinsic weirdness of existence and the importance of embracing it while probing deeper into the nature of consciousness itself.
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Schrödinger's Cat
- Schrödinger's cat illustrates quantum mechanics' bizarreness: a cat is both alive and dead until observed.
- The Many Worlds interpretation offers an alternative, equally bizarre explanation.
Materialism Definition
- Materialism/physicalism posits that everything fundamental is spatial and non-mental.
- Mental phenomena might emerge from these physical elements.
Syrian Super Squids
- Hypothetical Syrian super squids with detachable tentacles challenge the idea that consciousness requires a central location.
- These squids maintain integrated cognition despite spatial distribution.
