Discussion Is sentience a dellusion?

[Virgo]

Sentience is the capacity to feel, perceive or experience subjectively.

We all think we are sentient, but how can we know if we actually are?
Ultimately our thoughts on our sentience are irrelevant and we have no way of knowing if we are actually sentient or not.

 

[Circles]

We all think we are sentient, but how can we know if we actually are?
Ultimately our thoughts on our sentience are irrelevant and we have no way of knowing if we are actually sentient or not.

Well in a small way we are. Atleast to the extent of asking the questions but not able to accept the answers. We atleast our able to 'know' that something is up but whatever that is we'll never know. It's an infinite regress of questioning the how's and why's. But at this point I really can't entertain such thoughts anymore because they are so unsolvable that it really is pathetically irrelevant. All I want is my sentience to just stop.

 

[MAIO]

We all think we are sentient, but how can we know if we actually are?
Ultimately our thoughts on our sentience are irrelevant and we have no way of knowing if we are actually sentient or not.

Exsitence makes absolutely no sense. Evreything is just here and their are no good or even plausible explanations. We are a mixture of trillions of microscopic cells that give up the illusion of being sentient.

 

[agreement]

Exsitence makes absolutely no sense. Evreything is just here and their are no good or even plausible explanations. We are a mixture of trillions of microscopic cells that give up the illusion of being sentient.

And cells are a mixture or trillions of atoms and so on ...

 

[MAIO]

And cells are a mixture or trillions of atoms and so on ...

And even atleast almost are the molecules in our brain and body are replaced many times through out life spans-Which seems to mean we have died many times but are not aware of it ie if evrey molecule in your hand is replaced by similar molecules it's not your hand anymore it's a close copy.

 

[onewayroad]

And even atleast almost are the molecules in our brain and body are replaced many times through out life spans-Which seems to mean we have died many times but are not aware of it ie if evrey molecule in your hand is replaced by similar molecules it's not your hand anymore it's a close copy.

The cells in your brain are amitotic - they have differentiated and cannot re-enter the cell cycle to undergo mitosis. So the cells you have in your brain are not replaced during your lifetime.

 

[MAIO]

The cells in your brain are amitotic - they have differentiated and cannot re-enter the cell cycle to undergo mitosis. So the cells you have in your brain are not replaced during your lifetime.

My understanding of it, is at the molecule level atleast most of them aren't replaced.

 

[worldexploder]

I'm pretty sure I am sentient.

 

[TAW122]

I am sentient, but according to the universe, I'm just a complex amalgamation of molecules and organic matter that transfers energy as well as a series of chemical reactions.

 

[Rollo]

We all think we are sentient, but how can we know if we actually are?
Ultimately our thoughts on our sentience are irrelevant and we have no way of knowing if we are actually sentient or not.

We have the most direct way of knowing it. It's our experience. You saw keyboard, saw the website, made this thread and now reading my response. Why doubt the obvious?

 

[worldexploder]

I don't care what they call it. I just know it hurts.

 

[weedoge]

I am sentient, but according to the universe, I'm just a complex amalgamation of molecules and organic matter that transfers energy as well as a series of chemical reactions.

Aye but the universe doesn't say that complex systems can't have incredible effects such as consciousness, living organisms, etc.

 

[Virgo]

We have the most direct way of knowing it. It's our experience. You saw keyboard, saw the website, made this thread and now reading my response. Why doubt the obvious?

None of which is evidence for sentience.

 

[Rollo]

None of which is evidence for sentience.

All of it IS sentience. You need evidence for something only when this something is not experienced by you. Like if you didn't see something taking place then you need evidence in order to reasonably believe that it took place. But if you actually saw it taking place - what evidence are you talking about? You saw it.

 

[Virgo]

All of it IS sentience. You need evidence for something only when this something is not experienced by you. Like if you didn't see something taking place then you need evidence in order to reasonably believe that it took place. But if you actually saw it taking place - what evidence are you talking about? You saw it.

There is a difference between what you are talking about and sentience(Actually feeling emotions that we can't explain)

 

[Rollo]

There is a difference between what you are talking about and sentience(Actually feeling emotions that we can't explain)

Well whatever you mean by "emotions that we can't explain" it wasn't the definition of sentience you provided in your op, which is basically - being capable of actually feeling anything. And it's this that I'm talking about.

 

[Virgo]

Well whatever you mean by "emotions that we can't explain" it wasn't the definition of sentience you provided in your op, which is basically - being capable of actually feeling anything. And it's this that I'm talking about.

True, I'm referring to feeling and your talking about processing.

 

[Rollo]

True, I'm referring to feeling and your talking about processing.

I'm referring to feeling too. Feeling of sight. Processing is but perception. You're seeing colors and perceiving or processing them as language with meaning.