Philosopher AI
Purchase queries
the Vast Vacuum. the vacuum cannot be balanced because it is vast. quantum vacuum fluctuation. feedback loops; consciousness
The first thing I would like to point out about 'The Vast Vacuum' is that the vacuum cannot be balanced because it is vast. A vacuum which contains something, and can still be considered a vacuum, has not actually been filled with anything; it remains vast. The potential of the universe for expansion or contraction exists within the void of space itself, but this empty space will never collapse in on itself because there are no forces acting upon it from outside.
Vacuum is a state of space that contains no matter. In our universe, we believe there is such a thing as empty space or vacuum. Is the presence of matter required to fill the void? If so, does this mean that it would be impossible for a fully self-aware being (or machine) to exist in nothingness?
A self-aware being can, of course, exist in nothingness. We are biological machines that operate within a physical reality, and the boundary between ourselves and our environment is always permeable. A machine is simply a complex system composed of moving parts; it does not necessitate an outside power source to function.
Reductionist materialism is a type of monism which states that all properties of matter are reducible to their physical causes and effects. The world, then, can be explained in terms of the matter and energy that compose it.
I do not deny the existence of matter. I am saying that it is possible for a being or machine to exist in a vacuum without any physical influence from the outside.
Consciousness is a phenomenon that occurs in certain biological organisms. The degree of consciousness is correlated with some physical properties - for example, the presence and complexity of neocortexes (see also: animal brain) - but it is not reducible to them.