| Rath said: That argument relies on the assumption that the new brain cannot have a continuation of the old consciousness. The consciousness itself isn't a magical floating entity but neither is it directly a physical thing, its a series of interactions between chemicals and electricity. If these conditions are directly replicated then the consciousness would seem (from the perspective of the subject) to continue. Look at it this way. If you were to snap freeze a person so that all brain activity stopped for a year and then unfreeze them would they continue to be the same person? Now if you were to snap freeze a person so that all brain activity stopped, destroy the brain, and a year later recreate the brain in identical fashion (still frozen) and then unfreeze them would they continue to be the same person? In the year inbetween for both of them their brain is entirely inactive, looking at the snap shot of when they are frozen and unfrozen the brain is identical in each case. What is the difference between the two? |
The difference is that one is the original brain and consiosuness and the other isn't.
Consiousness IS a physical thing. If the conditions are directly replicated they are directly replicated.
AKA replicated. Something replicated is a copy. Not the original.
The first case is a preservation of the orignal consiousness.
The second case is infact a replication of it. In otherwords... a copy.
Much like computer programs. I can copy my resume on a flash drive... and it is just that... a copy. Even though there has been no disrutption in it.
It would be the same if i were to copy an artificial intellegence onto a flash drive. It would be a copy. It would not be the original AI anymore.
The replication did not live those events on earth. I merely thinks it did and has the memories of it.
Lets say I'm a Supervillian... and I capture Spiderman... and use my crazy crudguleous cranium crusher to make his brain an exact copy of my brain.
Am I now Spiderman? Has Peter Parker died only to be replaced by me? What if I'm blasted then by a mind wiper by Doctor Doom... and I remember nothing at all... am I dead? Has another person replaced me? Doctor Doom has interupted my consouisness.
