Consciousness Conversation w/ Connor

Connor thinks this looks like him. I do not endorse this as an accurate depiction. You can judge from the video which of us is right.

In this video, I discuss consciousness with

Connor Jennings

who writes

Mind Meandering

.

On his publication, Connor writes insightful and funny posts about ethics and philosophy of mind.

This video conversation came about from various exchanges Connor and I have had in posts and comments about the nature of consciousness. Connor is a dualist, believing that consciousness is caused by a unique substance distinct from physical matter (something like the colloquial soul). I am a functionalist, believing consciousness is made up of the functions performed by physical matter of the brain.

Our conversation goes through the intuitions for functionalism and some of the standard arguments against it, and my responses to them. Connor also reveals he has a French maid outfit that he puts on during the weekends as a treat for himself. Do we get to see him in it? You’ll have to watch to find out.

Connor did the editing on this video. If at any point it appears I said anything dumb, assume it was him using deep-fake technology to alter what I actually said, and replace it in your head with something smart sounding.