All of nshepperd's Comments + Replies
Though it is not clear if insects are phenomenally conscious (and so if they can suffer), I think that we should take precautionary measures now to avoid moral catastrophe. Expert seem to be divided on the question of insect consciousness.
Are experts really divided on the question of insect consciousness? Or is it that some are pulling some sleight of hand by redefining "consciousness" to refer to easier questions such as planning and spatial awareness ("primary consciousness") which consist of capabilities little more advanced than has a program like A
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5y
My impression is that experts are divided as to whether or not insects have phenomenal consciousness. Some people seem to have strong intuitions one way, and others have strong intuitions the other way. Ultimately I don't think we know enough about the subject for anyone to be too confident one way or the other, and given this uncertainty we should take precautions.
I didn't think it was worth getting into the question how likely it is that insects are conscious because it's something that I've written about extensively elsewhere (mostly in a forthcoming report). And there are other posts on the question. In hindsight maybe a paragraph on it would have been good.
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5y
I think most of the experts Max has in mind are talking about phenomenal consciousness. One example is Max's recent interview with Jon Mallatt.
My own view is that there is no sharp line separating "phenomenal consciousness" from mere cognitive abilities, though certainly some types of mental abilities tug at our moral heartstrings more than others, and it is a nontrivial question what degree of the heartstring-tugging abilities insects have.
The original post makes highly damaging claims, but it at least provides links to the sources that led the author to make said claims, allowing for in-depth engagement from commenters. One could argue that it breaks certain Forum rules (e.g. around accuracy), but I wouldn't call it "spam".
This comment breaks Forum rules itself; it is unclear and unnecessarily rude. I appreciate that you feel strongly about the post's claims, but please refrain from referring to posts as "spam" or "trolling" unless you are at least willing to explain why you believe t
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