Eric Schwitzgebel
@eschwitz.bsky.social
Philosopher, UC Riverside. Father. Human.
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.
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!
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 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.
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
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
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
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]
Today's blog post [link in comments]: Evolutionary Considerations Against a Plastic Utopia
... why we shouldn't expect things to be boringly easy for even the most amazingly advanced superintelligences.
... why we shouldn't expect things to be boringly easy for even the most amazingly advanced superintelligences.
July 31, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Today's blog post [link in comments]: Evolutionary Considerations Against a Plastic Utopia
... why we shouldn't expect things to be boringly easy for even the most amazingly advanced superintelligences.
... why we shouldn't expect things to be boringly easy for even the most amazingly advanced superintelligences.
Today's blog post [link in comment]: Yayflies and the Rebugnant Conclusion. If utilitarian ethics is correct, it's better to create a quadrillion happy insects each with a millionth the happiness of humans than a million happy people.
July 14, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Today's blog post [link in comment]: Yayflies and the Rebugnant Conclusion. If utilitarian ethics is correct, it's better to create a quadrillion happy insects each with a millionth the happiness of humans than a million happy people.
New paper in draft: The Emotional Alignment Design Policy, with @jeffsebo.bsky.social; link and abstract in comments.
July 7, 2025 at 6:54 PM
New paper in draft: The Emotional Alignment Design Policy, with @jeffsebo.bsky.social; link and abstract in comments.
The great Riverside tradition of setting Mt Rubidoux on fire every Independence Day
July 5, 2025 at 4:23 AM
The great Riverside tradition of setting Mt Rubidoux on fire every Independence Day
Blog post today (link in comments): Three Epistemic Problems for Any Universal Theory of Consciousness
Problem 1: reliance on introspection.
Problem 2: causal confounds.
Problem 3: narrow evidence base.
Problem 1: reliance on introspection.
Problem 2: causal confounds.
Problem 3: narrow evidence base.
July 1, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Blog post today (link in comments): Three Epistemic Problems for Any Universal Theory of Consciousness
Problem 1: reliance on introspection.
Problem 2: causal confounds.
Problem 3: narrow evidence base.
Problem 1: reliance on introspection.
Problem 2: causal confounds.
Problem 3: narrow evidence base.
Taking a nap in Van Gogh’s bed, thanks to Mr Brainwash
June 25, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Taking a nap in Van Gogh’s bed, thanks to Mr Brainwash
Today's post: The Conceptual and Methodological Challenges of Developing a Moralometer [link in comments]
Plus! A demonstration of a 100% scientifically accurate new moralometer
with: @jessiesun.bsky.social
Plus! A demonstration of a 100% scientifically accurate new moralometer
with: @jessiesun.bsky.social
June 23, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Today's post: The Conceptual and Methodological Challenges of Developing a Moralometer [link in comments]
Plus! A demonstration of a 100% scientifically accurate new moralometer
with: @jessiesun.bsky.social
Plus! A demonstration of a 100% scientifically accurate new moralometer
with: @jessiesun.bsky.social
riendship in work. Your imminent death was a small cloud we saw on the horizon, but its approach did not overwhelm you. It made the gift of your time only sweeter and more precious. 2/2
June 21, 2025 at 2:47 AM
riendship in work. Your imminent death was a small cloud we saw on the horizon, but its approach did not overwhelm you. It made the gift of your time only sweeter and more precious. 2/2
Today's blog post (link in thread): Does the Arc of History Bend Toward Justice? Outline of an Empirical Test
If Arc of History Theory is true, morally correct values should be culturally magnetic: harder to leave than incorrect values, and directionally attractive over time.
If Arc of History Theory is true, morally correct values should be culturally magnetic: harder to leave than incorrect values, and directionally attractive over time.
June 13, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Today's blog post (link in thread): Does the Arc of History Bend Toward Justice? Outline of an Empirical Test
If Arc of History Theory is true, morally correct values should be culturally magnetic: harder to leave than incorrect values, and directionally attractive over time.
If Arc of History Theory is true, morally correct values should be culturally magnetic: harder to leave than incorrect values, and directionally attractive over time.
New paper in draft: Against Designing "Safe" and "Aligned" AI Persons (Even If They're Happy).
Link in comments. As always, reactions, thoughts, and criticisms welcome.
Link in comments. As always, reactions, thoughts, and criticisms welcome.
May 30, 2025 at 6:56 PM
New paper in draft: Against Designing "Safe" and "Aligned" AI Persons (Even If They're Happy).
Link in comments. As always, reactions, thoughts, and criticisms welcome.
Link in comments. As always, reactions, thoughts, and criticisms welcome.
New in print: the Women in Philosophy / Demographics in Philosophy "Good Practices" guide for improving diversity in philosophy departments, journals, and societies. Link in comments.
May 26, 2025 at 5:34 PM
New in print: the Women in Philosophy / Demographics in Philosophy "Good Practices" guide for improving diversity in philosophy departments, journals, and societies. Link in comments.
it will win no prizes and astound no critics -- it wonderfully enriches the world. How?
[Attached pictures: I can swim like a grasfl dolphin can you? by my daughter Kate, at age six; Angel and moonbug, by my son Davy, circa age five]
The awesomeness isn't due to impressive technique, honed by 2/
[Attached pictures: I can swim like a grasfl dolphin can you? by my daughter Kate, at age six; Angel and moonbug, by my son Davy, circa age five]
The awesomeness isn't due to impressive technique, honed by 2/
May 16, 2025 at 5:09 PM
it will win no prizes and astound no critics -- it wonderfully enriches the world. How?
[Attached pictures: I can swim like a grasfl dolphin can you? by my daughter Kate, at age six; Angel and moonbug, by my son Davy, circa age five]
The awesomeness isn't due to impressive technique, honed by 2/
[Attached pictures: I can swim like a grasfl dolphin can you? by my daughter Kate, at age six; Angel and moonbug, by my son Davy, circa age five]
The awesomeness isn't due to impressive technique, honed by 2/
The Awesomeness of Bad Art
I love bad art.
Gather some friends and create some bad music. Cruise in a car covered with graffiti doodles. Hand a five-year-old crayons and free time and see what weirdness emerges.
Something worth celebrating happens. Although the art is "bad" in one sense -- 1/
I love bad art.
Gather some friends and create some bad music. Cruise in a car covered with graffiti doodles. Hand a five-year-old crayons and free time and see what weirdness emerges.
Something worth celebrating happens. Although the art is "bad" in one sense -- 1/
May 16, 2025 at 5:08 PM
The Awesomeness of Bad Art
I love bad art.
Gather some friends and create some bad music. Cruise in a car covered with graffiti doodles. Hand a five-year-old crayons and free time and see what weirdness emerges.
Something worth celebrating happens. Although the art is "bad" in one sense -- 1/
I love bad art.
Gather some friends and create some bad music. Cruise in a car covered with graffiti doodles. Hand a five-year-old crayons and free time and see what weirdness emerges.
Something worth celebrating happens. Although the art is "bad" in one sense -- 1/