Beyond Zero and One (Andrew Smart) / quote 146 of 171
The computational move
The real bone of contention between computationalists and others is whether to include computations in the list of observer-independent phenomena. Are computation and information like mass or the elementary particles? Or more dramatically, are computations even more fundamental than mass? Much like Penrose’s Platonic view that the universe is an approximation of mathematical perfection, the computational view is that the universe is made of computations. The “computational move” is necessary for computationalists to build a theory of how elementary particles of physics organize into systems of carbon-based humans with consciousness and intentionality. In fact, it is computations that cause elementary particles to organize into conscious agents.