No, we understand this objection, we just don't think it's valid.
Your thought experiment postulates a pattern of matter that is identical to conscious matter but lacking consciousness. But the fact that you can imagine this does not mean it possible or even meaningful. You give no proof that such a distinction can exist.
"Consciousness" is a label humans apply to a pattern of matter that behaves in certain ways, in the same way "liquid" is a label we apply to a pattern of matter that behaves in certain ways. It makes no more sense to imagine a being that displays conscious behaviour but lacks consciousness than it is to imagine matter that acts identically to liquid but is somehow not a liquid.
In your example, if there is no observable difference between the supposedly conscious and non-conscious beings, then there is, scientifically speaking, no difference at all. They are both conscious, in that they both exhibit the behaviours that we call "consciousness".
If you hypothesise that there is a difference, then the burden of proof is on you to demonstrate it, via measurement — again, your imagination does not count — at which point we can use scientific enquiry to find out exactly how this difference arises. However, since the difference is measurable, it is part of the pattern of matter, and so the outcome of this process will simply be a more refined definition of consciousness.
Your thought experiment postulates a pattern of matter that is identical to conscious matter but lacking consciousness. But the fact that you can imagine this does not mean it possible or even meaningful. You give no proof that such a distinction can exist.
"Consciousness" is a label humans apply to a pattern of matter that behaves in certain ways, in the same way "liquid" is a label we apply to a pattern of matter that behaves in certain ways. It makes no more sense to imagine a being that displays conscious behaviour but lacks consciousness than it is to imagine matter that acts identically to liquid but is somehow not a liquid.
In your example, if there is no observable difference between the supposedly conscious and non-conscious beings, then there is, scientifically speaking, no difference at all. They are both conscious, in that they both exhibit the behaviours that we call "consciousness".
If you hypothesise that there is a difference, then the burden of proof is on you to demonstrate it, via measurement — again, your imagination does not count — at which point we can use scientific enquiry to find out exactly how this difference arises. However, since the difference is measurable, it is part of the pattern of matter, and so the outcome of this process will simply be a more refined definition of consciousness.