From: Samantha Atkins (samantha@objectent.com)
Date: Tue Jun 05 2001 - 00:31:13 MDT
Harvey Newstrom wrote:
> No, I do not think the two year old Harvey is the same as the current me. I
> cannot control the two year old's body with my mental thoughts. I cannot
> experience the two-year-old's sensory input in my mind. I cannot even
You could say the same of yourself as of last week. So what?
> detect that the two-year-old exists. He is dead and gone. He has no affect
> on my current situation. My current existence is in no way connected to
Really. No much about psychology?
> that two-year-old. If I discovered that the two-year-old never existed, and
> that I was created fully-formed as an adult with implanted memories of being
> a two-year-old, my position would still be the same. My definition of "me"
> is based on current access to my thoughts. If I can't "hear" the thoughts
> generated by some neurons, they are not my thoughts. If I can't move a body
> with my mind, it is not my body.
So, you have no dependence on all the myriad processes and
processing of sensations, precepts, memories, concepts and so on
that take place outside your conscious attention? Interesting.
If all of these obvious parts of what most people would think of
as *you* are not *you* then what are they? If they all ceased
would *you* still exist and be *you*?
- samantha
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