[Synapse elist] More answers to Reva!

[Paul Brown]

There is growing evidence that the neurological activity that  
generates an action takes place prior to any conscious awareness of  
the action (or need for action).  This is being quoted (not by me) as  
some evidence that "free will" is an illusion (which fits well with  
contemporary "interactionist" views of consciousness and,  
interestingly, the Buddhist concept of Samsara).

The British cybernetician Geoff Sommerhoff once described free will as  
nothing more than the response of a relatively simple organism (us  
humans) to a incomprehensibly complex and vast universe. My favourite  
description!

See:  G. Sommerhoff (1969), "The abstract characteristics of living  
systems" in F. E. Emery (editor), Systems thinking : selected  
readings, Penguin, 1969.  A highly recommended book.  See a list of  
contents here:

   http://www.isss.org/world/en/book/export/html/160

Paul


On 12 Jun 2008, at 11:16, <ahenskens at bigpond.com> wrote:

>
> ---Further to Greg's response and the general matter of choice -  
> choice can be made from stored experiences in a situation that  
> doesn't appear to fit those former experiences (the brain tending to  
> seek generalities in its efficient manner according to Professor  
> Semir Zeki viz. 'A Vision of the Brain', Blackwell Scientific  
> 1993 ):  the choice does not necessarily mean 'free will', but a  
> decision to place a situation in one set of apparently known  
> circumstances or other.  A choice of where the newer experience fits  
> involves some choice; experiences are bound up with emotional  
> responses in a human which is why I mentioned the amygdala.  Rather  
> than invoking ethical considerations, I wonder how an AI system  
> makes its choices, assuming that it has a data bank to draw on.   
> Would Greg or anyone else like to comment on this?
>
> Ada
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Paul Brown - based in the UK May - June 2008
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Visiting Professor - Sussex University
http://www.cogs.susx.ac.uk/ccnr/research/creativity.html
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