[ExI] Continuity of experience.

[Spencer Campbell]

John Clark <jonkc at bellsouth.net>:
> Spencer Campbell wrote:
>
>> I can not be two people at once.
>
> Sure you can. They would be two different people who would go on to lead
> different lives but they would both be Spencer Campbell. There is nothing
> paradoxical in this it's just unusual because up to now only one chunk of
> matter in the universe behaved in a Spencercampbellian way, but someday that
> might change.

Two people can be me, sure, but I can't be two people! Fine
distinction. Some day I might come to believe that these two
statements are, in fact, equivalent. Right now I do not.


John Clark <jonkc at bellsouth.net>:
> Then you will be dead in the next few seconds because the human body is
> constantly rebuilding itself and never does so perfectly. You are last years
> mashed potatoes.

The mashed potatoes argument again! I just had potatoes for breakfast.
It's so plausible.

You're right: the only difference is one of degree between my atomic
makeup reconfiguring itself moment-to-moment and, say, clone-based
teleportation. I'm left with the not-quite-rational belief that the
degree is what matters.

I could start making analogies to sudden phase changes and the like,
here, but I doubt it would be very convincing.


Stefano Vaj <stefano.vaj at gmail.com>:
> Sociology has often a way to resolve for good what philosophy per se could
> never decide.

You're quite correct!

http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=1677

Being already ranged in the ranks of weirdos, I have little to lose by
shying away from the mind-clone revolution. Just time. But, hey, we
have plenty of time, right?*

*Read: "plenty of oil".