Functionalism: Why the Most Popular Consciousness Theory Might be Wrong

Physicalism [Part 5]. Functionalism is currently the most popular theory of consciousness. It's the idea that consciousness — all our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs are not defined by what they are made of but by what they do. This theory is also behind the idea that AI might be conscious (now or sometime in the future) because, given the right type of machine, it could replicate the functional states of a human mind. But despite its popularity, not everyone is convinced by the functionalist claims. So, what's the issue with functionalism?

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