From: plains!kmagel@uunet.UU.NET (ken magel)
Subject: BOOK: Consciousness Explained
Date: 25 Jul 92 21:07:43 GMT
Organization: North Dakota State University, Fargo



  In Daniel Dennett's book COnsciousness Explained, he claims that human beings
will never be fooled by computers, no matter how powerful those computers
eventually become.  This seems unrealistic?  Therefore, if we assume that
eventually computers will be capable of providing virtual worlds which can 
include interactions which fool the human beings interacting in the world, 
what would be the ethics involved in such a situation?  Under what circumstances
should a virtual world be established which provides incorrect experiences 
to human beings who use it when those humans cannot determine that the experiences
 are incorrect?  Further, if the virtual world is sufficiently detailed, how 
will humans be able to distinguish what they do in that world from what they 
do in the "real"  world?  
Will it matter that they cannot?