Harvey Newstrom wrote:
> The real "Dan Fabulich" <daniel.fabulich@yale.edu> didn't write:
> > By "this consciousness stream," I meant the thing that you make copies of,
> > not the whole copy system. "This consciousness stream" is the object the
> > whole set of which constitutes me. (Though, at present, that set is a
> > singleton.) "This consciousness stream" is whatever would be terminated
> > while the copy lived on.
> >
> > I DO take it as an intrinsic end to preserve the copy system, because
> > that's me, though not any individual in the copy system, because those are
> > unimportant.
>
> Interesting. I take the exact opposite view. I have existed for too long
> without a copy system to think of it as being an intrinsic part of me. The
> individual consciousness stream is the only one I've ever known, and it is
> hard to define it as not being an intrinsic part of me.
>
> Maybe I'm just being selfish, but I can't experience the life of that other
> consciousness stream. If I live, we will diverge. If I die, I still won't
> live that other life. I don't want that other consciousness stream to take
> over. I prefer to find a way for this consciousness stream to continue.
A copy of "Dab Fabulich" writes:
"Hi Dan. I know you have no experience of being me, because you're still alive
and kicking back on Earth. I'm an exact copy of your self made from a remote
highly advanced brain of your brain 2 days before the new year. I regret to
inform you that your continued existence is going to end in a few years from a
gamma ray burst before your planet develops upload technology. That's the reason
this alien ship I'm on made the copy while they happened to be traveling through
our particular solar system. I hope you can find comfort knowing that at least
a copy of your prior self will make it past this apocalypse. Take care."
And now a short comment from Paul Hughes:
I know Harvey and I agree this is not acceptable, because our current inner
selves will not experience a continuation of consciousness. Worse, in this
fictional scenario, we have a short future to look forward to - one in which we
will be vaporized into non-existence. So the question (yes or no), do you share
the sense of loss that Harvey and I have, that the you I'm talking to right now
will not continue?
Paul Hughes
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