Eric Schwitzgebel
@eschwitz.bsky.social
Philosopher, UC Riverside. Father. Human.
Today's blog post: Representational Realism and the Problem of Tacit Belief [link in comments]
To avoid an infinite proliferation of stored representations, industrial-strength representational realists need to distinguished between core beliefs with explicitly stored [1/3]
To avoid an infinite proliferation of stored representations, industrial-strength representational realists need to distinguished between core beliefs with explicitly stored [1/3]
November 20, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Today's blog post: Representational Realism and the Problem of Tacit Belief [link in comments]
To avoid an infinite proliferation of stored representations, industrial-strength representational realists need to distinguished between core beliefs with explicitly stored [1/3]
To avoid an infinite proliferation of stored representations, industrial-strength representational realists need to distinguished between core beliefs with explicitly stored [1/3]
We Are God's Equals in Intrinsic Moral Value
[today's blog post; link in comments]
A humanlike god running us in a simulation wouldn't have an intrinsically more valuable life than ours. Moreover, adding knowledge, power, and benevolence doesn't increase intrinsic moral worth.
[today's blog post; link in comments]
A humanlike god running us in a simulation wouldn't have an intrinsically more valuable life than ours. Moreover, adding knowledge, power, and benevolence doesn't increase intrinsic moral worth.
November 13, 2025 at 6:04 PM
We Are God's Equals in Intrinsic Moral Value
[today's blog post; link in comments]
A humanlike god running us in a simulation wouldn't have an intrinsically more valuable life than ours. Moreover, adding knowledge, power, and benevolence doesn't increase intrinsic moral worth.
[today's blog post; link in comments]
A humanlike god running us in a simulation wouldn't have an intrinsically more valuable life than ours. Moreover, adding knowledge, power, and benevolence doesn't increase intrinsic moral worth.
On Friday, I'll be at Scripps College giving a talk titled "God Sucks" at a two-day (Fri-Sat) workshop on Virtual Reality as Metaphor. My thought is this: If we're living in a virtual reality/simulation, the managers ("gods") are incompetent, indifferent, or cruel. How this generalizes to gods 1/2
November 11, 2025 at 9:01 PM
On Friday, I'll be at Scripps College giving a talk titled "God Sucks" at a two-day (Fri-Sat) workshop on Virtual Reality as Metaphor. My thought is this: If we're living in a virtual reality/simulation, the managers ("gods") are incompetent, indifferent, or cruel. How this generalizes to gods 1/2
Arrived today: My 2024 Clarkesworld story “How to Remember Perfectly” reprinted in Joe Stech’s Think Weirder: Year’s Best Science Fiction ideas. Some great company in the ToC!
November 8, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Arrived today: My 2024 Clarkesworld story “How to Remember Perfectly” reprinted in Joe Stech’s Think Weirder: Year’s Best Science Fiction ideas. Some great company in the ToC!
I met James Watson as a high school student in 1986, at an event in Washington DC for selected students to meet leaders in business, academia, and culture. Watson gave a talk about how the Japanese would dominate the world unless the US funded more science. Around a 1/3
apnews.com/article/jame...
apnews.com/article/jame...
James Watson, co-discoverer of the double-helix shape of DNA, has died at age 97
Scientist James Watson, who shared a Nobel prize for helping discover the double-helix shape of the DNA molecule, has died. He was 97.
apnews.com
November 7, 2025 at 9:28 PM
I met James Watson as a high school student in 1986, at an event in Washington DC for selected students to meet leaders in business, academia, and culture. Watson gave a talk about how the Japanese would dominate the world unless the US funded more science. Around a 1/3
apnews.com/article/jame...
apnews.com/article/jame...
Today's post: Debatable Persons in a Voluntary Polis [link in thread]
A partial solution to the "full-rights dilemma" for future AI who might or might not be full moral persons: Create them in a voluntary polis where they and human volunteers dwell as equals.
A partial solution to the "full-rights dilemma" for future AI who might or might not be full moral persons: Create them in a voluntary polis where they and human volunteers dwell as equals.
November 7, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Today's post: Debatable Persons in a Voluntary Polis [link in thread]
A partial solution to the "full-rights dilemma" for future AI who might or might not be full moral persons: Create them in a voluntary polis where they and human volunteers dwell as equals.
A partial solution to the "full-rights dilemma" for future AI who might or might not be full moral persons: Create them in a voluntary polis where they and human volunteers dwell as equals.
New interview of me at Tevin Naidu's podcast, on whether we will know whether near-future AI systems are conscious:
YouTube: youtu.be/zxNyX1kq9ro?...
Blog Post: www.mindbodysolution.org/blog/the-epi...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0WHK...
YouTube: youtu.be/zxNyX1kq9ro?...
Blog Post: www.mindbodysolution.org/blog/the-epi...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0WHK...
Will We Know When AI Becomes Conscious? The Epistemic Fog of Artificial Minds | Eric Schwitzgebel
YouTube video by Mind-Body Solution
youtu.be
November 5, 2025 at 6:17 PM
New interview of me at Tevin Naidu's podcast, on whether we will know whether near-future AI systems are conscious:
YouTube: youtu.be/zxNyX1kq9ro?...
Blog Post: www.mindbodysolution.org/blog/the-epi...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0WHK...
YouTube: youtu.be/zxNyX1kq9ro?...
Blog Post: www.mindbodysolution.org/blog/the-epi...
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/0WHK...
Letting Pass
For two months we kept the dog run, as if she might come back. But we had killed her ourselves, or rather the vet had, with that bright needle, in Pauline's arms. Pauline had thought she was ready; she was not.
Our children's favorite toys, from when they were two, are stacked 1/5
For two months we kept the dog run, as if she might come back. But we had killed her ourselves, or rather the vet had, with that bright needle, in Pauline's arms. Pauline had thought she was ready; she was not.
Our children's favorite toys, from when they were two, are stacked 1/5
October 31, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Letting Pass
For two months we kept the dog run, as if she might come back. But we had killed her ourselves, or rather the vet had, with that bright needle, in Pauline's arms. Pauline had thought she was ready; she was not.
Our children's favorite toys, from when they were two, are stacked 1/5
For two months we kept the dog run, as if she might come back. But we had killed her ourselves, or rather the vet had, with that bright needle, in Pauline's arms. Pauline had thought she was ready; she was not.
Our children's favorite toys, from when they were two, are stacked 1/5
Two Dimensionalism about Other Minds, and Its Implications for Brain Organoids and Robots
[link in thread]
Two-dimensionalism holds that we are justified in attributing consciousness to others only when *both* their physiology and their functional/behavioral patterns are similar.
[link in thread]
Two-dimensionalism holds that we are justified in attributing consciousness to others only when *both* their physiology and their functional/behavioral patterns are similar.
October 22, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Two Dimensionalism about Other Minds, and Its Implications for Brain Organoids and Robots
[link in thread]
Two-dimensionalism holds that we are justified in attributing consciousness to others only when *both* their physiology and their functional/behavioral patterns are similar.
[link in thread]
Two-dimensionalism holds that we are justified in attributing consciousness to others only when *both* their physiology and their functional/behavioral patterns are similar.
Humanities majors in free fall in the US: Since 2008, English has declined from 3.8% to 1.7% of Bachelor's degrees awarded, history from 2.5% to 1.2%, foreign lang/lit from 1.9% to 0.9%, and philosophy from 0.6% to 0.4%. 22% of philosophy BAs are awarded by just 20 universities.
October 15, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Humanities majors in free fall in the US: Since 2008, English has declined from 3.8% to 1.7% of Bachelor's degrees awarded, history from 2.5% to 1.2%, foreign lang/lit from 1.9% to 0.9%, and philosophy from 0.6% to 0.4%. 22% of philosophy BAs are awarded by just 20 universities.
New in draft with Susan Schneider, David Sahner, Robert Lawrence Kuhn & Mark Bailey - a primer on central ideas and concepts in the AI consciousness debate. If you're looking for a toehold in the sea of jargon, this might help.
philpapers.org/rec/SCHIAC-22
philpapers.org/rec/SCHIAC-22
Susan Schneider, David Sahner, Robert Lawrence Kuhn, Eric Schwitzgebel & Mark Bailey, Is AI Conscious? A Primer on the Myths and Confusions Driving the Debate - PhilPapers
Artificial intelligence is sparking unprecedented claims about machine minds — but are today’s systems really conscious? In this primer, we disentangle the myths, misconceptions, and confusions fuelin...
philpapers.org
October 13, 2025 at 11:39 PM
New in draft with Susan Schneider, David Sahner, Robert Lawrence Kuhn & Mark Bailey - a primer on central ideas and concepts in the AI consciousness debate. If you're looking for a toehold in the sea of jargon, this might help.
philpapers.org/rec/SCHIAC-22
philpapers.org/rec/SCHIAC-22
New book in draft: AI and Consciousness [link in thread]
This book is a skeptical overview of the literature on AI and consciousness.
Anyone who emails me comments on the entire manuscript will be thanked in print and receive an appreciatively signed hard copy.
This book is a skeptical overview of the literature on AI and consciousness.
Anyone who emails me comments on the entire manuscript will be thanked in print and receive an appreciatively signed hard copy.
October 8, 2025 at 5:58 PM
New book in draft: AI and Consciousness [link in thread]
This book is a skeptical overview of the literature on AI and consciousness.
Anyone who emails me comments on the entire manuscript will be thanked in print and receive an appreciatively signed hard copy.
This book is a skeptical overview of the literature on AI and consciousness.
Anyone who emails me comments on the entire manuscript will be thanked in print and receive an appreciatively signed hard copy.
Why Philosophy? has published a brief interview of me on the nature and practice of philosophy
celineleboeuf.substack.com/p/eric-schwi...
celineleboeuf.substack.com/p/eric-schwi...
Eric Schwitzgebel
In living life thoughtfully, we are always already practicing philosophy.
celineleboeuf.substack.com
October 7, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Why Philosophy? has published a brief interview of me on the nature and practice of philosophy
celineleboeuf.substack.com/p/eric-schwi...
celineleboeuf.substack.com/p/eric-schwi...
Early Career Hugo Nominations -- Yes, They Definitely Happen
a quantitative analysis [link in thread]
Almost half of Hugo nominations go to early-career authors: 51/112 (46%)
a quantitative analysis [link in thread]
Almost half of Hugo nominations go to early-career authors: 51/112 (46%)
October 2, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Early Career Hugo Nominations -- Yes, They Definitely Happen
a quantitative analysis [link in thread]
Almost half of Hugo nominations go to early-career authors: 51/112 (46%)
a quantitative analysis [link in thread]
Almost half of Hugo nominations go to early-career authors: 51/112 (46%)
The Searle Chair
John Searle died a couple weeks ago. Since people are sharing stories, I'll share one of my own.
As a philosopher of science studying developmental psychology, my dissertation committee initially consisted of Elisabeth Lloyd, Martin Jones, and Alison Gopnik. The topic led me 1/11
John Searle died a couple weeks ago. Since people are sharing stories, I'll share one of my own.
As a philosopher of science studying developmental psychology, my dissertation committee initially consisted of Elisabeth Lloyd, Martin Jones, and Alison Gopnik. The topic led me 1/11
September 29, 2025 at 5:48 PM
The Searle Chair
John Searle died a couple weeks ago. Since people are sharing stories, I'll share one of my own.
As a philosopher of science studying developmental psychology, my dissertation committee initially consisted of Elisabeth Lloyd, Martin Jones, and Alison Gopnik. The topic led me 1/11
John Searle died a couple weeks ago. Since people are sharing stories, I'll share one of my own.
As a philosopher of science studying developmental psychology, my dissertation committee initially consisted of Elisabeth Lloyd, Martin Jones, and Alison Gopnik. The topic led me 1/11
Today's blog post (link in comments):
DigiDan's "Mistake": Fidelity vs Novelty in Digital Replicas
Philosopher Dan Dennett's digital replica was sometimes arguably truer to the overall gist of his corpus than Dennett himself was at the end of his life.
DigiDan's "Mistake": Fidelity vs Novelty in Digital Replicas
Philosopher Dan Dennett's digital replica was sometimes arguably truer to the overall gist of his corpus than Dennett himself was at the end of his life.
September 26, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Today's blog post (link in comments):
DigiDan's "Mistake": Fidelity vs Novelty in Digital Replicas
Philosopher Dan Dennett's digital replica was sometimes arguably truer to the overall gist of his corpus than Dennett himself was at the end of his life.
DigiDan's "Mistake": Fidelity vs Novelty in Digital Replicas
Philosopher Dan Dennett's digital replica was sometimes arguably truer to the overall gist of his corpus than Dennett himself was at the end of his life.
Today's blog post: The Social Semi-Solution to the Problem of AI consciousness
Tenuous consciousness science will bend to support socially motivated reasoning about the consciousness, or not, of AI systems. We will come to think we know, even if we don't know.
Link in comments
Tenuous consciousness science will bend to support socially motivated reasoning about the consciousness, or not, of AI systems. We will come to think we know, even if we don't know.
Link in comments
September 18, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Today's blog post: The Social Semi-Solution to the Problem of AI consciousness
Tenuous consciousness science will bend to support socially motivated reasoning about the consciousness, or not, of AI systems. We will come to think we know, even if we don't know.
Link in comments
Tenuous consciousness science will bend to support socially motivated reasoning about the consciousness, or not, of AI systems. We will come to think we know, even if we don't know.
Link in comments
First draft of a new book finished! AI and Consciousness, for Cambridge. Not yet in circulating shape — maybe in a couple of weeks.
🎉
🎉
September 18, 2025 at 2:01 AM
First draft of a new book finished! AI and Consciousness, for Cambridge. Not yet in circulating shape — maybe in a couple of weeks.
🎉
🎉
Women earned 37% of U.S. philosophy doctorates in 2024, up from 28% ten years ago.
Bachelor's degrees show a similar pattern. If it were a pipeline effect, the increase in doctorates should be several years later than the increase in BAs, but it's not. So why explains it?
link in comments
Bachelor's degrees show a similar pattern. If it were a pipeline effect, the increase in doctorates should be several years later than the increase in BAs, but it's not. So why explains it?
link in comments
![[chart showing an increase from about 17% in the 1970s, to about 27% in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2010s, rising to 37% in 2024; click to enlarge and clarify]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:tdcgbtd4wvhktrrhksipkuvz/bafkreicj5hl7a2gev4ot3s444hhw75rcyej7sino2kv3xifnsbmwmhfj54@jpeg)
September 9, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Women earned 37% of U.S. philosophy doctorates in 2024, up from 28% ten years ago.
Bachelor's degrees show a similar pattern. If it were a pipeline effect, the increase in doctorates should be several years later than the increase in BAs, but it's not. So why explains it?
link in comments
Bachelor's degrees show a similar pattern. If it were a pipeline effect, the increase in doctorates should be several years later than the increase in BAs, but it's not. So why explains it?
link in comments
Today's blog post: Are Weird Aliens Conscious? Three Arguments (Two of Which Fail)
1. Behavioral sophistication is best explained by consciousness.
2. The functional equivalent of a human could be made from a different substrate.
3. Copernican mediocrity of neurons.
1. Behavioral sophistication is best explained by consciousness.
2. The functional equivalent of a human could be made from a different substrate.
3. Copernican mediocrity of neurons.
Are Weird Aliens Conscious? Three Arguments (Two of Which Fail)
schwitzsplinters.blogspot.com
September 5, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Today's blog post: Are Weird Aliens Conscious? Three Arguments (Two of Which Fail)
1. Behavioral sophistication is best explained by consciousness.
2. The functional equivalent of a human could be made from a different substrate.
3. Copernican mediocrity of neurons.
1. Behavioral sophistication is best explained by consciousness.
2. The functional equivalent of a human could be made from a different substrate.
3. Copernican mediocrity of neurons.
New paper in draft, with Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, critiquing three recent books that address the moral standing of non-human animals and AI systems: @birchlse.bsky.social's The Edge of Sentience, @jeffsebo.bsky.social's The Moral Circle, and Webb Keane's Animals, Robots, Gods. 1/3
August 27, 2025 at 4:42 PM
New paper in draft, with Walter Sinnott-Armstrong, critiquing three recent books that address the moral standing of non-human animals and AI systems: @birchlse.bsky.social's The Edge of Sentience, @jeffsebo.bsky.social's The Moral Circle, and Webb Keane's Animals, Robots, Gods. 1/3
Today's blog post: Defining "Artificial Intelligence"
I favor a simple analysis: A system is an AI if it is both artificial and intelligent.
The concept of "AI" is fuzzy and in-principle arguments against AI consciousness rely on narrow conceptions.
schwitzsplinters.blogspot.com/2025/08/defi...
I favor a simple analysis: A system is an AI if it is both artificial and intelligent.
The concept of "AI" is fuzzy and in-principle arguments against AI consciousness rely on narrow conceptions.
schwitzsplinters.blogspot.com/2025/08/defi...
Defining "Artificial Intelligence"
schwitzsplinters.blogspot.com
August 21, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Today's blog post: Defining "Artificial Intelligence"
I favor a simple analysis: A system is an AI if it is both artificial and intelligent.
The concept of "AI" is fuzzy and in-principle arguments against AI consciousness rely on narrow conceptions.
schwitzsplinters.blogspot.com/2025/08/defi...
I favor a simple analysis: A system is an AI if it is both artificial and intelligent.
The concept of "AI" is fuzzy and in-principle arguments against AI consciousness rely on narrow conceptions.
schwitzsplinters.blogspot.com/2025/08/defi...
Minimal Autopoiesis in an AI System
One argument against AI consciousness is that consciousness requires autopoiesis (self-maintenance and self-construction), which standard AI systems lack. I describe a minimally autopoietic AI system with only standard engineering features. 1/2 [link in thread]
One argument against AI consciousness is that consciousness requires autopoiesis (self-maintenance and self-construction), which standard AI systems lack. I describe a minimally autopoietic AI system with only standard engineering features. 1/2 [link in thread]
August 15, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Minimal Autopoiesis in an AI System
One argument against AI consciousness is that consciousness requires autopoiesis (self-maintenance and self-construction), which standard AI systems lack. I describe a minimally autopoietic AI system with only standard engineering features. 1/2 [link in thread]
One argument against AI consciousness is that consciousness requires autopoiesis (self-maintenance and self-construction), which standard AI systems lack. I describe a minimally autopoietic AI system with only standard engineering features. 1/2 [link in thread]
My annual ranking of science fiction / fantasy magazines, based on awards nominations and "best of" selections. This year @clarkesworldmagazine.com takes the top spot for the first time.
schwitzsplinters.blogspot.com/2025/08/top-...
schwitzsplinters.blogspot.com/2025/08/top-...
Top Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazines 2025
schwitzsplinters.blogspot.com
August 5, 2025 at 5:45 PM
My annual ranking of science fiction / fantasy magazines, based on awards nominations and "best of" selections. This year @clarkesworldmagazine.com takes the top spot for the first time.
schwitzsplinters.blogspot.com/2025/08/top-...
schwitzsplinters.blogspot.com/2025/08/top-...
Terrific framing of my work on "weirdness" by Ellie and David, before after and during their interview of me on Overthink. Probably the best engagement with that dimension of my work that I've seen so far.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...
Weirdness with Eric Schwitzgebel
Podcast Episode · Overthink · 07/15/2025 · 57m
podcasts.apple.com
August 4, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Terrific framing of my work on "weirdness" by Ellie and David, before after and during their interview of me on Overthink. Probably the best engagement with that dimension of my work that I've seen so far.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/w...