To further expound on this copy-question, try this thought experiment
resulting in six different copies. I am not trying to prove a point
here, and don't know what the "right" answer is. I just want to see
which copy people think is the best continuation of themselves.
Your original, one-and-only body and brain are kidnapped by a mad
scientist. (Knowing this list, it's a possibility!) The scientist
makes an exact copy of your body. The scientist then transfers your
complete memory into the copy. While doing this, your memories are
completely erased in your original body. The computer also keeps a
buffered-memory copy of the operation and runs a comparison against
it to verify that the copy is accurate. After the mad scientist
finishes, the brilliant idea occurs that he can make the copy better
than the original. A second duplicate is made, but this one is
incredibly sexier, younger, smarter, and healthier than your original
body, while it has the same memories and mannerisms.
We now have these four entities:
Number 1, dubbed "the original", is a total amnesiac with no memory
whatsoever, but fingerprints indicate it is you.
Number 2, dubbed "the copy", is apparently you, looks exactly like
you, and has your exact memories and behavior mannerisms.
Number 3, dubbed "the youth", is physically better off than you were,
but otherwise has your exact memories and behavior mannerisms.
Number 4, dubbed "the simulation", is a computer-generated simulation
of you. It is a projected picture on a computer screen that claims
to be you, and seems to have all your exact memories and mannerisms.
To carry this even further, imagine that the scientist loads your
memories back into your meat brain, and then replaces each neuron of
the original's brain with a machine neuron. This is done one neuron
at a time, and your brain keeps functioning while this is done.
Eventually, the original brain is completely replaced with mechanical
neurons. Strangely, the mad scientist's assistant has reassembled
the neurons into a completely functioning meat brain, and has
transplanted it into a monkey. We now have:
Number 5, dubbed "the android", with a completely mechanical brain,
with all your exact memories and mannerisms.
Number 6, dubbed "the chimp", which looks like a chimp with a large
brain pan, which seems to have all your exact memories and mannerisms.
Which entity is "you"? Any of them? All of them? Some of them?
Note that I destroyed the original. The amnesiac original is the
most obvious choice for body continuation, but it had no memory or
personality. The chimp now contains the original meat brain with all
its data, but the android alone maintained continuous functioning
between the original meat-brain and a replacement. The copy is the
closest to what the original was like before, whereas the youth seems
to be the best restoration of the original to good health. The
simulation exists in cyberspace and probably has the most
possibilities of all the bodies.
How would we rate these entities in probability of being "you"?
-- Harvey Newstrom <HarveyNewstrom.com>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Mon May 28 2001 - 09:50:35 MDT