Thanks both. I'd give myself D- for a fairly shoddy essay, but there we are. I really do blame the beer. I had to bring the barrel in because it kept freezing outside (we had -32 C in Switzerland on Saturday night) and that meant I had to drink it very quickly, before it went off.
I strongly suspect we would agree on more than you think, Felix. The point of para 15 is merely to repeat that the empirical method alone cannot determine the criteria for ascription of so-called mental states (because it can't test for them, independently of whatever criteria you feed into it) - it can only help you to apply whatever criteria you come up with by some other means. I did omit the various 'recursive emergent systems' theorists, who think they have logically deduced criteria - but in the end, although their criteria are fascinating and very well worked out (and are definitely criteria for something interesting), the choice to designate them conscious states is again based more on something akin to gut feeling, or self-evidence, than it is on any kind of rational demonstration.
So if your gut feeling is different from mine, it shouldn't cause any wars! Providing, of course, you don't go around gleefully torturing butterflies because you are so sure you're right!!
When exactly are you coming out for your dose of homebrew? Unfair question. But every time I fly home I do stop at a real ale hole in Victoria Station, so maybe one day I'll meet a few UK Butts members.
Guy