X-Message-Number: 20911
Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 10:11:10 -0800 (PST)
From: Scott Badger <>
Subject: Re: Perfect Copies

For me, a satisfactory solution to the identity
problem came when I realized the following.

Let us set the creation of a double aside for a
second, and consider this simple fact. 

At time (1), I am Scott (A) 
At time (2), I am Scott (B)

One cannot dispute that Scott (B) may be a very, very
close approximation to Scott (A), but not identical.
The difference between the two, other than time and a
likely change in location, is that millions of atoms
in my brain and the rest of my body have shifted.
Several hundred neurons have changed their dendritic
structures, a few hundred cells died somewhere, etc.
It's nothing substantial enough to affect my sense of
continuity or my perception of self, but it is
nevertheless quite clearly a new version of me.

Of course, if one examines an extrememly small time
increment, (a fraction of a microsecond), between the
existence of (A) and (B), one might find they are
temporarily "identical". However, the practicality of
the matter is that from one second to the next, Scott
(A) is being replaced by an almost identical Scott
(B). Now Scott (B) and those around him fully believe
that he is the original, just as a re-instantiated
crew member of the Enterprise believes s/he is the
same person after being teleported. There's no
substantial difference between the two scenarios.

So, I am forced to conclude that I am already
experiencing constant duplication, constant
replacement ... and there are as many different
iterations of me as there are time increments. How
then can I reasonably object to being duplicated by
some advanced technology, whether my brain is scanned
and the precise structure of it duplicated into new
brain tissue, or whether the program and database that
is "Scott" is uploaded into a computer environment, or
whatever. 

Apparently, there's no way to preserve what I perceive
to be the original me. The only exception may be those
moments when I am in cryostasis, but who wants to
remain in that state?

Therefore, if a copy of me were created and we woke up
in the same room not knowing which was which, I would
have to conclude that the other was also me ... in the
same sense that I appear to be the same person I was
an hour ago. Both of us would strongly object to being
destroyed, of course.

Fundamentally, the self is a dynamic and constantly
changing construct, and efforts to preserve any
particular version of it is folly.

Change is inevitable and quite often desirable.

Best regards,


=====
Scott Badger, Ph.D.
Member: ALCOR, Extropy Insitute, Life Extension Foundation
Instructor/Researcher-University of Idaho
Four new songs from my album "Burdens" now available at:
(www.mp3.com/scottbadger) in addition to:
my Transhumanist CD. "Phenom"

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