Re: Can I kill a Copy? (long)

From: Zero Powers (zero_powers@hotmail.com)
Date: Sat May 06 2000 - 00:34:30 MDT


>From: "Harvey Newstrom" <mail@HarveyNewstrom.com>
>
>"Zero Powers" <zero_powers@hotmail.com> sent a copy of this on Saturday,
>May
>06, 2000 12:41 AM,
> > Hmm. I had not considered that. If that is what Eugene had in mind, I
> > don't suppose I could argue with that. I find it difficult to imagine a
> > replica of me that is exact in every way, yet still not having
> > consciousness. But if it could somehow be done, and the copy was
>terminated
> > before the last step of igniting the consciousness, then moral
> > ly I don't suppose I'd have a problem with that. Although I still
>believe
> > that would raise a sticky *ethical* issue.
>
>To keep the record straight, I don't think Eugene agreed with my
>interpretation. But in my mind, if the copy is still being artificially
>caused to have the same thoughts as the original, instead of being allowed
>to directly experience the world and generate its own thoughts, then I
>would
>not consider it conscious yet. I would think that the process of
>artificially causing it to keep in synch with the original was part of the
>original creation/copying process. As soon as it is disconnected from
>machinery that control its sensory input to match the original's, and it
>starts perceiving the world from its own viewpoint, then it becomes
>independently conscious in my opinion.
>
>I believe that Eugene's "copy" must be kept in synch with the original, or
>else he no longer considers it to be an identical copy. I don't think he
>believe in killing a copy as soon as it has had its first independent
>thought. In this sense, I am not sure that different participants really
>disagree on when a copy can be killed and when it becomes an independent
>being who should not be killed.

Of course, under that scenario, it seems we all agree. If the copies (how
ever many of them there are) are completely in synch at all times, then as
long as *they* decide that one or more of them can be eliminated, that is
nothing worse than suicide. And, for those who want to do that, I have no
problem with it at all.

-Zero

"I like dreams of the future better than the history of the past"
--Thomas Jefferson

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