X-Message-Number: 20937
From: <>
Subject: Re: Perfect copies... again
Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 0:06:56 -0500


I wonder how much of the wrestling with the idea of identity is related to the 
way in which we reproduce?  It lends it self to the idea of a continuing father,
continuing mother, and new-born; and each of these has traditionally been seen 
as having a soul which enters the body (or is created in it) at conception, or 
birth, or some point in between; and this soul then leaves the body at death.


If we reproduced by amoeba-like fissioning, I doubt we would conceptualize the 
world in this way.  One creature would divide into two creatures, each knowing 
they were not the other, but each having a legitimate claim to be the 
pre-existing single creature.  The equality of fissioning (unlike the unequal 
human division into parent and egg) would militate against the idea of the 
individual soul in the way that we view it.  How would one feel, on the point of
fission?  That one was going to die?  No.  That one was going to give birth?  
No.  That one was going to become two individuals, each of which would be 
oneself, but the 'one'self would not be there any longer?  That's my guess.


Each of the fissioned beings would be continuous with the previous single one, 
but would diverge.  Identical twins do this already, but they lack the 
continuity of memory necessary to impact our cultural views.


I think our cultural views will change as technology produces ever more 
replication processes; and I suspect the concept of the soul will continue to 
fade away in the process.

Robin HL

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