Hi Timothy! I agree with your main claim that “assumptions [about sentience] are often dubious as they are based on intuitions that might not necessarily ‘track’ sentience”, shaped as they are by potentially unreliable evolutionary and cultural factors. I also think it’s a very important point! I commend you for laying it out in a detailed way.
I’d like to offer a piece of constructive criticism if I may. I’d add more to the piece that answers, for the reader:
what kind of piece am I reading? What is going to happen in it?
why should I care about the central points? (as indicated, I think there are many reasons to care, and could name quite a few myself)
how does this piece relate to what other people say about this topic?
While getting ‘right to the point’ is a virtue, I feel like more framing and intro would make this piece more readable, and help prospective readers decide if it’s for them.
[meta-note: if other readers disagree, please do of course vote ‘disagree’ on this comment!]
Hi Timothy! I agree with your main claim that “assumptions [about sentience] are often dubious as they are based on intuitions that might not necessarily ‘track’ sentience”, shaped as they are by potentially unreliable evolutionary and cultural factors. I also think it’s a very important point! I commend you for laying it out in a detailed way.
I’d like to offer a piece of constructive criticism if I may. I’d add more to the piece that answers, for the reader:
what kind of piece am I reading? What is going to happen in it?
why should I care about the central points? (as indicated, I think there are many reasons to care, and could name quite a few myself)
how does this piece relate to what other people say about this topic?
While getting ‘right to the point’ is a virtue, I feel like more framing and intro would make this piece more readable, and help prospective readers decide if it’s for them.
[meta-note: if other readers disagree, please do of course vote ‘disagree’ on this comment!]
Thanks for the advice :)
I added a summary to the post (hopefully making it more readable).