X-Message-Number: 21223
Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 07:07:09 -0500
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: CryoNet #21214 - #21221

For Dave Pizer:

You now are distinct from the Dave Pizer who existed yesterday. The
Dave Pizer of tomorrow will be distinct from the Dave Pizer of 
today. Do we then consider you to be totally different people
for each day/hour/minute/second of your life? In what way does
your brain continue the same?

The problem with your argument is that it uses a very narrow and
precise definition of "sameness" to draw its conclusions. Any
such argument must deal with the simple fact that many of our 
atoms have been inserted long after we were born, and others 
removed long after we were born. So far as our brains show any
changes at all, that is true of our brains, also. 

Clearly if we duplicate someone (forgetting all the problems of
doing so, even with Nanotechnology) then the two duplicates cannot
be the same person. If nothing else, they have different locations
in space, and soon will fall to arguing over just what possessions
and attachments (wife, children, dog, cat) are to go to which 
one of them --- thus becoming increasingly different, and perhaps
even hating one another. 

However if by some event one person is destroyed while a duplicate
of him/her is created, the situation at least is less full of 
strife and problems. Other than the obvious and very severe
problems of making a true duplicate, I see no philosophical 
reason why that duplicate does not continue living as the person
duplicated. How is he/she any  different than you are from the
Dave Pizer of 5 minutes ago? Your brain has busily made new
molecules and destroyed others as you were thinking; in that
sense you aren't even the same person as you were 5 minutes
ago. So what is the problem here?

            Best wishes and long long life to all,

                Thomas Donaldson

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