From: John Clark (jonkc@worldnet.att.net)
Date: Fri May 19 2000 - 23:09:13 MDT
<hal@finney.org> Wrote:
> Can you suggest any experiments, at the end of which you can say whether
> copies preserve the self-awareness of the original?
Yes, provided you grant me that up to the time of the experiment the normal
processes of living and growth have not destroyed my self-awareness and
personal identity. If after using the Star Trek transported I still have my memories,
my self awareness, feel no differently and others can see no difference then
the damage to my identity is no greater than that all of us experience every
day just by being alive. I mean, we think we're the same person we were
yesterday because we feel that we are, thus if we feel that we are then there
is good reason to think we are the same person. And even if we're not
nobody cares because nobody even knows. I don't worry my identity will be lost
when I eat a hamburger and incorporate billions of trillions of foreign atoms into
my body, I don't see why I should worry more about the transporter.
John K Clark jonkc@att.net
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