Hofstadter, Dennett - The Mind's I

The Seventh Sally 292brains, but in phonograph records as well, which proves nothing,and certainly gives no grounds for such hypostatical analogies!The subjects of that monster Excelsius do in fact die whendecapitated, sob, fight, and fall in love, since that is how Iset up the parameters, but it's impossible to say, Klapaucius,that they feel anything in the process-the electrons jumpingaround in their heads will tell you nothing of that!""And if I were to look inside your head, I would also seenothing but electrons," replied Klapaucius. "Come now, don'tpretend not to understand what I'm saying, I know you're notthat stupid! A phonograph record won't run errands for you,won't beg for mercy or fall on its knees! You say there's no wayof knowing whether Excelsius's subjects groan, when beaten,purely because of the electrons hopping about inside-like wheelsgrinding out the mimicry of a voice-or whether they reallygroan, that is, because they honestly experience the pain? Apretty distinction, this! No, Trurl, a sufferer is not one whohands you his suffering, that you may touch it, weigh it, biteit like a coin; a sufferer is one who behaves like a sufferer!Prove to me here and now, once and for all, that they do notfeel, that they do not think, that they do not in any way existas being conscious of their enclosure between the two abysses ofoblivion-the abyss before birth and the abyss that followsdeath-prove this to me, Trurl, and I'll leave you be! Prove thatyou only imitated suffering, and did not create it!""You know perfectly well that's impossible," answered Trurlquietly. "Even before I took my instruments in hand, when thebox was still empty, I had to anticipate the possibility ofprecisely such a proof-in order to rule it out. For otherwisethe monarch of that kingdom sooner or later would have gottenthe impression that his subjects were not real subjects at all,but puppets, marionettes. Try to understand, there was no otherway to do it! Anything that would have destroyed in the littlestway the illusion of complete reality would have also destroyedthe importance, the dignity of governing, and turned it intonothing but a mechanical game. . . .""I understand, I understand all too well!" criedKlapaucius. "Your intentions were the noblest-you only sought toconstruct a kingdom as lifelike as possible, so similar to areal kingdom, that no one, absolutely no one, could ever tellthe difference, and in this, I am afraid, you were successful!Only hours have passed since your return, but for them, the onesimprisoned in that box, whole centuries have gone by-how manybeings, how many lives wasted, and all to gratify and feed thevanity of King Excelsius!"Without another word Trurl rushed back to his ship, but sawthat his