Host of Naturalism.orghttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3mupb26aqd22zThis gets causal determinism just right: not as an excuse for bad behavior or a threat to agency but as access to explanations that afford compassion and control. attn: @wiringthebrain.bsky.social and other libertarians about free will. https://psyche.co/ideas/why-you-should-try-living-without-free-will-for-two-weeks?fbclid=IwY2xjawUHvxVwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAGJyaWQRMVR5dXdMTUFMQkVNajFtUEpzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe-sylf2QEhOOY73qDl6ppV9lHquFHQJYtOCwnQXCGP5xArIOeCyGINGSrMOg_aem_jYIze_rCi_xDAv8agb8ZYg04 Sep 2026 15:16 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3mupb26aqd22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3muhc6zim4k2vPhysicalists should disagree with this statement since on their view my pain, my experiences of red, sweetness, etc., are identical to certain publicly observable neural states of affairs, thus there is nothing categorically private about experience. In principle we can see it sitting there. [contains quote post or other embedded content]01 Sep 2026 11:15 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3muhc6zim4k2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3muft4o4gfk2vAgree or disagree? And why/why not? "None of us can gain direct access to the subjective experience of any other mind, whether vertebrate, invertebrate or digital." https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/31/science/ai-consciousness-agents-email.html?unlocked_article_code=1.9lA.GfnK.cIGj71iwS56-&smid=url-share31 Aug 2026 21:13 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3muft4o4gfk2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3mtphcyad222cUse of AI, so long as its disclosed and documented in full, needn't be shameful. Consider it an informational resource that you, the content creator, take responsibility to check. Here's my suggested policy: https://substack.com/@twc3/p-167723585 [contains quote post or other embedded content]22 Aug 2026 23:43 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtphcyad222chttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3mtjpfokchc2zThe use of AI should be fine so long as it's properly disclosed and the human author(s) takes responsibility for the content. The substrate of intelligence doesn't matter so long as what it delivers is helpful. My policy on this is at https://substack.com/home/post/p-167723585 What's yours? [contains quote post or other embedded content]20 Aug 2026 16:52 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtjpfokchc2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3mtecnbdvx22sIn designing autonomous artificial agents, we should avoid making them sentient targets of our all too easily triggered retributive inclinations. https://substack.com/@twc3/p-20902751918 Aug 2026 13:20 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtecnbdvx22shttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3msslpeyplk2j@rovelli.bsky.social "The false “hard problem of consciousness” assumes upfront that there exists a metaphysical gap between mind and body." Not so. The hard problem is why only certain neural processes and not others are identical to or somehow entail sensory qualities like red, pain. Your answer? https://www.noemamag.com/there-is-no-hard-problem-of-consciousness/11 Aug 2026 12:14 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3msslpeyplk2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3msprhfbu6k2tMentioned or cited in the article below: @metzinger.bsky.social @anilseth.bsky.social @eschwitz.bsky.social @keithfrankish.com @adamfrank4.bsky.social @davidchalmers.bsky.social @davidpapineau.bsky.social @karlfristonnews.bsky.social [contains quote post or other embedded content]10 Aug 2026 09:19 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3msprhfbu6k2thttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3mslkh4earc2fJust out in the Montreal Review in their Mind Series: https://themontrealreview.com/Articles/the_ordinary_and_how_to_get_out_of_it.php08 Aug 2026 17:03 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3mslkh4earc2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3mrqihq6rzk2jThis gets it right about not having libertarian free will: compassionate accountability and increased attention to the causes of wrongdoing. Determinism (plus any randomness that exists) is not something we need to deny. https://theconversation.com/accepting-free-will-doesnt-exist-could-make-us-less-hateful-and-ashamed-28215528 Jul 2026 22:46 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrqihq6rzk2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3mrparce6lk2bRight, on naturalism there is nothing that allows an agent to transcend its material basis such that it could have done otherwise in actual situations. We're causal operators, just not uncaused causers, and the same will go for artificial agents. [contains quote post or other embedded content]28 Jul 2026 10:55 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrparce6lk2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3mqtbc6rphk2xNot sure who benefits from claiming there's an explanatory gap. Why are only certain brain processes and not others associated with conscious experience? https://substack.com/@twc3/p-179190134 [contains quote post or other embedded content]17 Jul 2026 07:50 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqtbc6rphk2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3mqm5wzn7ls2yGood for @timbayne.bsky.social, referencing Metzinger's call for a moratorium on building synthetic phenomenology, to say that Anthropic should pause work on building machines that might potentially be conscious. Consciousness isn't an intrinsic good in itself that we should maximize. [contains quote post or other embedded content]14 Jul 2026 12:02 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqm5wzn7ls2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3mmrqqq7bok2rAre there any groups working to *prevent* AI consciousness? Why create more opportunity for suffering? Plus we'll have to grant rights to artificial agents who will compete with us for resources. Consciousness isn't obviously a good in itself so why try to build it? Just because we can?26 May 2026 19:41 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmrqqq7bok2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3mmexmmw2ak2xAt death, some anticipate the onset of nothingness or oblvion, but it's pretty easy to show that can't be the case. So the question is, what *should* we anticipate? https://substack.com/home/post/p-19815826721 May 2026 17:39 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmexmmw2ak2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3mklb5taq622iWhat do just about all brain-based theories of consciousness have in common? Representation, modeling the world outside the head, a reality model. And representation involves content. Hence the content hypothesis about consciousness: https://twc3.substack.com/p/the-content-hypothesis28 Apr 2026 18:55 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3mklb5taq622ihttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3mivzmxdv2k2sThis is it folks. A general strike is in order if this goes through. https://substack.com/home/post/p-19346777907 Apr 2026 14:50 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3mivzmxdv2k2shttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3m744bv4nls2mA new book by @metzinger.bsky.social lays out an epistemically responsible and spiritually deep response to the looming climate crisis, one that pulls no punches in its critique of religion and capitalism. It's the unflinching, honest appraisal we need right now. https://www.amazon.com/-/de/dp/B0FZH2JPR2/ref=sr_1_1?crid=16V1WLXWYHROM&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.TSkRSeE5xFHtC5uYB6yFjLE5cx5ewgP_f6-pZxSpOVt9qgZI_kogUVEdR8HUztWlsC7qg6sPJkFo7yAK_PbEcV_lXo3dvg-nYIdSwHVRinYAV-ckVS5JEbHceVHI0y_wIOgr8zvGseBaQC5Fj-2Sd7zHsyElSJIsNItVGwdju-r3mUEVvMt6w3ZHkQ9WQbXLodky3U--4vtmPX_FgQHzrKJM-RvFCPbsIXoSVGhk34U.0Can9xpinLZKcqfD0tX0U21seT1amu9CzRuc8ktVV5U&dib_tag=se&keywords=bewusstseinskultur&qid=1764320143&sprefix=%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-103 Dec 2025 18:41 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3m744bv4nls2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3m62tusc6gk2fThe feeling of pain seems to play a causal role in pain behavior but when we analyze the functions associated with such behavior, we don't need to mention that feeling. What gives??? @matthiasmichel.bsky.social @earlkmiller.bsky.social @johanneskleiner.bsky.social https://substack.com/home/post/p-17919013420 Nov 2025 13:13 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3m62tusc6gk2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3m2pr6jagic22Re @wiringthebrain.bsky.social and Henry Potter's defense of libertarian free will, I argue that indeterminism and an open future can't make agents more responsible than they are under determinism. Otherwise I like their view of agency. philpapers.org/rec/CLATDO-31 https://philpapers.org/rec/CLATDO-3108 Oct 2025 23:10 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3m2pr6jagic22https://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3lxhssibpus2gThe Good Determinist - Taking a cause-and-effect view of ourselves can lessen retributive blame premised on the illusion of libertarian agency, leading to more humane and practically effective responsibility practices, but without excusing wrong-doing. https://substack.com/home/post/p-17173236928 Aug 2025 15:02 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3lxhssibpus2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3lu4dspuyrk2g@wiringthebrain.bsky.social Up your alley: this book by Nancey Murphy and Warren Brown - "Did My Neurons Make Me Do It? - is similar to your approach to downward causation and responsible agency but without any appeal to causal slack: https://naturalism.org/resources/book-reviews/causal-powers-of-the-natural-mind16 Jul 2025 21:19 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3lu4dspuyrk2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3lteww5keqs2mIt's fine to collaborate with AIs on a publication so long as you give them due credit. https://twc3.substack.com/p/ai-and-authorship07 Jul 2025 13:57 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3lteww5keqs2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3lsp3j5ol4k2oSo when you have a thought in your native language, is it more like speaking it or hearing it?28 Jun 2025 21:20 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3lsp3j5ol4k2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3lsiwlh62j223Game over for due process, sorry folks! https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/06/25/opinion/supreme-court-rule-of-law-deportations/?s_campaign=sharetool_Bluesky_view26 Jun 2025 10:36 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3lsiwlh62j223https://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3lqfwjqmcvc2qReality monitoring associated with phenomenal consciousness is clearly functional, but what function does phenomenality itself serve? If it's identical to functions, no causal power added, if not identical, no causal story on offer. Hmmm... @matthiasmichel.bsky.social @smfleming.bsky.social [contains quote post or other embedded content]30 May 2025 19:07 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3lqfwjqmcvc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3lpetjifo7s2nThe billionaires could be oligarchic but benevolent (e.g., Bill Gates), so the wholesale gutting of American science, culture, rule of law, social safety net, etc., etc. can only be construed as intentionally punitive, aimed at undermining our collective flourishing under democracy.17 May 2025 15:15 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3lpetjifo7s2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3lo7cr7gtoc2r"Sapolsky, a Stanford University professor, is a hard determinist who rejects free will; Mitchell, an associate professor of genetics and neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin, is a compatibilist who embraces it." @wiringthebrain.bsky.social a compatibilist? https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40614-025-00447-302 May 2025 17:07 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3lo7cr7gtoc2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3lo4y7te6ws2rHere "superagency" denotes the capacity for ultimate control over our behavior. We can’t step outside of ourselves to exert a level of control not already determined by who we are, but many, perhaps most folks think that we are such impossible superagents. https://twc3.substack.com/p/superagency-sources-of-the-libertarian01 May 2025 18:53 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3lo4y7te6ws2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/naturalism.bsky.social/post/3lltiw6yngs2zNot hyperbole, this is happening in my hood. How about in yours? If your local, state, and federal representatives aren't speaking out about this you must let them know that their silence makes them complicit. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/opinion/trump-ice-immigrants.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8k4.e9Jk.z1BxoYk0xNOK&smid=url-share02 Apr 2025 13:35 +0000at://did:plc:5qte4lmishessvd27agnka2d/app.bsky.feed.post/3lltiw6yngs2z