X-Message-Number: 9137 Date: Mon, 09 Feb 1998 08:08:16 -0800 From: Rand Simberg <> Subject: re: Drama and Amnesia Peter Merel opined: >...I believe that it is dramatic context, the >way we construe ourselves with respect to the >drama of our memories, that entirely determines >our identities. If we have a will to survive, it >is to fulfill a dramatic purpose. With all due respect, I would suggest that the will to survive is primarily hardwired evolutionarily. It seems somewhat obvious (at least to me <g>) that creatures possessing a strong will to survive will be better adapted than those who don't. I enjoy living because I'm designed to, and I am interested in cryonics because I enjoy living. All this talk about drama seems a little overdramatic to me. :-) >With the loss of dramatic context and of our recollection >of this context, with displacement in time and in memory, >what good does a beating heart and sound mind? Rand makes >the point that his own walking but disconnected carcass >would be to him no more or less than any man, and I can't >see how he is mistaken. Nor can I. I think that this is one of those fundamental disagreements that I have with Bob. He believes in a provable objective reality, and that the nature of identity (among other impoderables) can be "known." I believe that it will always be subjective, and that even the belief in an objective reality requires a leap of faith (or an axiom, if one is more comfortable with the term). There is no point in arguing the point (at least with me), because I (and Goedel, among others) don't find it arguable. In any event, because I think there is a good possibility that I will be resurrected with memories, I remain interested in cryonics. ************************************************************************ * 310 372-7963 (CA) 307 739-1296 (Jackson Hole) interglobal space lines * 307 733-1391 (Fax) http://www.interglobal.org "Extraordinary launch vehicles require extraordinary markets..." Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=9137