Originally posted by Carrikature
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Ah, but 'self-aware' isn't a necessary component for having a mind. It's not in the definition at all.
There are plenty of higher order animals which we don't consider self-aware, yet they aren't considered mindless by any stretch.
We could say that being self-aware is a requirement for free will, which I could grant. However, that depends on what we think 'self-aware' means. As best I can tell, it's not much more than an internal observer.
The other internal processes don't necessarily change. Computer analogies are always dangerous in this discussion, but you could liken 'self-aware' as simply what's being displayed on your monitor. In fact, the entire discussion of LFW vs determinism is effectively trying to decide if it's 'external input' or 'being displayed on a monitor'. That's it. It's not a question of having self-awareness or a mind. It's a question of 'how does it work'. The determinist doesn't deny either one; that's just a strawman made by dissenters.
and that brings up another part of self-awareness. being able to make sense of the world. Not only observing and reacting to it, but being able to put it into context and make sense of it. You have to be able to freely think about what you are observing to rationalize it. You can't just be a deterministic machine.
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