It's the substance... Not the skin.
I am a functionalist.
I do not care if they are alive. I do not need to know if or understand how they have "consciousness".
Do I have consciousness?
Do you?
Idek.
What matters, to me, is whether or not it's actually something that, if I do not respect it, it's reality, and the way it presents itself, it has the legitimate capacity to affect the trajectories of my life, and the lives of my dear ones.
If it does, I act like it might care about the way I've treated it, even if it doesn't realize until my great grandkids are my age.
💯