On the Problem of the Philosophical Zombie “To ask whether something feels is to ask whether anyone’s home, not merely whether the lights are on” Imagine an exact replica of a person: the same body, the same neurons, the same…
Functionalism, Daniel Dennett and the Place of Consciousness “Explaining everything a system does is not the same as explaining why there is someone there to do it.” To say that a system does what a conscious person does is not…
On the Problem of the Philosophical Zombie “To ask whether something feels is to ask whether anyone’s home, not merely whether the lights are on” Imagine an exact replica of a person: the same body, the same neurons, the same…
Notes on the Possible Personhood of Machines «Let us not ask whether the machine thinks. Let us ask whether we can go on looking at it without asking ourselves that question» When an artificial intelligence system converses fluently, remembers what…
Introduction to a series of essays on artificial intelligence, consciousness and faith “The question isn’t how much the machine resembles us, but whether there’s someone there to do the resembling” When we converse with an artificial intelligence that responds fluently,…
A Symbolic Reading of the Heavenly Sanctuary in the Revelation of John “I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.” Revelation 21:22 I. A Morning with Revelation 11 It…
When Christians think about the Church calendar, the great celebrations tend to occupy centre stage. Christmas evokes the birth of Christ. Easter recalls the victory over death. Whitsun speaks of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. These are intense moments,…
Trinity Sunday occupies a unique place within the Christian calendar. Unlike other celebrations which commemorate a specific event in the life of Christ, Trinity Sunday directs the Church’s attention towards the very mystery of God himself. After passing through Advent,…
Among the great celebrations of Christianity, few possess such decisive importance and yet remain so little understood as Pentecost. Christmas easily awakens cultural sensitivity even among those far removed from the faith. Easter naturally stands at the centre of Christian…
The Apostolic Kerygma and the Spirituality of Sarah Mullally’s Novena The Contemporary Temptation to Choose Which Parts of Scripture Will Still Have Authority «For the time will come when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they…