[extropy-chat] Identity (was: Survival tangent)

[Randall Randall]

On Nov 5, 2006, at 1:44 PM, John K Clark wrote:
> If I place you (the copy) and the original an
> equal distance from the center of a symmetrical room so you see the
> same things and then instantly swap your bodies position with the
> original then neither you nor the original nor any outside observer
> could detect the slightest change. There was no change because
> although there were 2 bodies in the room there was only one person.

This appears to be the argument that had the Soviets been perfectly
successful in erasing all records of Trotsky, he would really not
have been there.

In your room, there are two person-processes* of the same
person-type, but only one person-type.  You feel that all
processes of the person-type you call John K Clark are
equivalent for all purposes, where we would say that they
are only equivalent for non-subjective purposes.

But here's a question for you: in a Tegmark universe, as I
understand it, there are an infinite number of John K Clark
bodies, widely separated by space, but in your view all with
an equal claim to being *you*, right?  (In a MWI universe,
the same is true but without the spacial separation).  So,
when you walk across the street, why dodge a car that almost
hits you?

Lee Corbin would say, I believe, that the important thing is
increase Lee-Corbin-runtime, and that this dictates saving
this particular Lee-Corbin-process, but I don't think this
mild preference (for the actual runtime lost by losing this
particular process would be infinitesimal) explains the
great lengths that I imagine you guys would go to if this
process' runtime were in danger.

If you don't agree that the runtime lost would indeed be
infinitesimal, we can introduce a random number generator
based on decay rates or some other apparently random source,
and then reason only about the reactions of the one in a
zillion John K Clark or Lee Corbin.


* Assuming that everyone can agree that each body which is a
person is a separate process.


--
Randall Randall <randall at randallsquared.com>
"This is a fascinating question, right up there with whether rocks
fall because of gravity or being dropped, and whether 3+5=5+3
because addition is commutative or because they both equal 8."
   - Scott Aaronson