From: John Clark (jonkc@worldnet.att.net)
Date: Sat Dec 01 2001 - 22:44:14 MST
Louis Newstrom <lnewstro@bellsouth.net> Wrote:
> So by your argument, there is only one "quarter" in existence, because they
> can all be used interchangeably? I don't buy that.
We were debating if position in space confers a unique identity to a thing and
I maintain it does not, in this case if you swap two newly minted unscratched
coins the economy will not be effected. Thus they have the "same identity"
as far as the economy is concerned but of course being a thing two quarters
have twice the mass of one. If you want your quarters or any other thing to
have a unique identity position will not do it, you'll have to put a scratch on one.
But I am not a thing I am a bundle of subjective experiences.
>If I vaporize a quarter, I am poorer, even if I DO have another
That's true but a quarter is a thing, in the same way brick is a thing, but as I
said I don't believe I am a thing. The number 17 is not a thing, neither is the color
red the word "beautiful" or computer software. A symphony is not a thing, that's
why if you have two MP3 files of the same symphony on your computer and you
erase one file you are not poorer for it because nothing has been lost. So,
do you think you're more like a symphony or more like a brick?
John K Clark jonkc@att.net
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