X-Message-Number: 14134
Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 08:57:58 -0400
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: more on identity

About identity:

It looks like I should upload several references and work done on this
problem, and I shall do so in a few days. It's fine to want to survive,
but exactly what that might mean if it turns out to be partial survival
is an interesting and important question. But cryonicists are hardly
the only people who've thought in detail about how identity may work;
about 5 years ago it because a subject of neurological scientists, too. 
They may not say much more about its DESIRABILITY, but they may well
have some good points to make about how it WORKS ... an obviously
important question.

As one of the simplest issues raised by this Cryonet discussion, why
would a short tape (or even a long one) help us recover our identity?
If I listened to your tape, would I then become you? Identity is not
simply the knowledge of facts ... though knowledge of facts is somehow
involved.

Right now I am busy putting together another issue of PERIASTRON
(which has discussed work on personal identity by neuroscientists, 
though it doesn't look as if the coming issue will say much on that
question). When that is close to finished, then I'll put together
a text bibliography on identity and make it available to anyone who
wants it.

But before that, here are a few books:

   DC Dennett CONSCIOUSNESS EXPLAINED
    --- at least according to Dennett
   PS Churchward NEUROPHILOSOPHY
   J Pollock HOW TO BUILD A PERSON
   J LeDeau THE EMOTIONAL BRAIN

Am I proposing that these books give a complete account? Not at all. But
it does help to compare your ideas with those of others, both to make
them stronger and to deal with objections you may not have thought of.

		Best and long long life to all,

			Thomas Donaldson

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