If yu want to understand what made him famous, I think you should read a cold war spy book like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. He stopped writing cold war spy books after the collapse of the Soviet Bloc.
His later books have more dimensions and you may enjoy them more. I suggest Constant Gardner. It is a topical book and is a story on the big pharma shenigans in poor African countries.
Afterwards, you may decide to read his other books.
Thank you for commenting on Substack. It looks like I have not explained myself clearly. My point was not on the definability of consciousness but on its observability. As you know there ie a discussion today on whether machines can be conscious. One can answer tthis question as you do, i.e. only the living can have consciousness. This is a good answer in the sense that it is definitive and categorical. Some people would disagree. I myself do not know. I decided to bypass this question of detectability of consciousness as an inherent property. For me, if it looks, talks and acts like a conscious being, I would treat it as a conscious entity.
In terms of the desirability of having a digital copy, I think I am guilty of being more vain and I would love to leave a copy to my grandchildren if it were possible to do so..
Dear Halim,I do not agree with your strained definition of 'consciousness' based on observing behaviour. It is very difficult to to define consciousness., but I have a simpler definition. Consciousness is awareness of self and all the other things in the universe. In my opinion this property belongs only to living things. We can observe the behavior of oxygen atoms. When they come into contact with hydrogen atoms they form water. Are they aware of this behaviour, do they feel any desire for this reaction? However when a sheep is grazing it is very much aware of eating grass. I am not looking forward to having a digital copy which can imitate me perfectly after my death. Many people are enviously waiting for developments in medicine which will prolong human life to 200 years. This is unbearable for me. Shall I start working again to make a living? Death is a gift given to living things. Compared to eternity 100 years, 200 years, 1 million years are all zero. Thank you for sharing your views.Best greetings.
If yu want to understand what made him famous, I think you should read a cold war spy book like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. He stopped writing cold war spy books after the collapse of the Soviet Bloc.
His later books have more dimensions and you may enjoy them more. I suggest Constant Gardner. It is a topical book and is a story on the big pharma shenigans in poor African countries.
Afterwards, you may decide to read his other books.
Which Le Carre book do you suggest for a person who never read his books?
Thank you for commenting on Substack. It looks like I have not explained myself clearly. My point was not on the definability of consciousness but on its observability. As you know there ie a discussion today on whether machines can be conscious. One can answer tthis question as you do, i.e. only the living can have consciousness. This is a good answer in the sense that it is definitive and categorical. Some people would disagree. I myself do not know. I decided to bypass this question of detectability of consciousness as an inherent property. For me, if it looks, talks and acts like a conscious being, I would treat it as a conscious entity.
In terms of the desirability of having a digital copy, I think I am guilty of being more vain and I would love to leave a copy to my grandchildren if it were possible to do so..
Dear Halim,I do not agree with your strained definition of 'consciousness' based on observing behaviour. It is very difficult to to define consciousness., but I have a simpler definition. Consciousness is awareness of self and all the other things in the universe. In my opinion this property belongs only to living things. We can observe the behavior of oxygen atoms. When they come into contact with hydrogen atoms they form water. Are they aware of this behaviour, do they feel any desire for this reaction? However when a sheep is grazing it is very much aware of eating grass. I am not looking forward to having a digital copy which can imitate me perfectly after my death. Many people are enviously waiting for developments in medicine which will prolong human life to 200 years. This is unbearable for me. Shall I start working again to make a living? Death is a gift given to living things. Compared to eternity 100 years, 200 years, 1 million years are all zero. Thank you for sharing your views.Best greetings.