> But doesn't it make a difference to you that you *know* the
> thing isn't alive? Even if you have absolutely no means of
> perceiving it, doesn't the reality behind the perception matter?

I think some of us have argued that, in fact, it doesn't. On the one hand there's the more theoretical approach: if we're talking about a robodog as intelligent as a meatdog, I more or less consider the robodog to be alive, in a general sense, anyway.

But on a more practical matter, why should it matter? I don't want a dog because I want a living thing per se; I want a dog because I want a companion. If a robot can be a good substitute, why should I care whether it's alive?

Others have pointed out how easily humans get attached to toys or fictional characters. We humans are simply good at forming emotional bonds with things that aren't exactly alive.

Stephen