[ExI] Next moment, everything around you will probably change

Lee Corbin lcorbin at rawbw.com
Sun Jul 15 05:05:11 UTC 2007


Gordon wrote

From: "gts" <gts_2000 at yahoo.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2007 11:44 AM


> On Sun, 24 Jun 2007 13:56:51 -0400, Lee Corbin <lcorbin at rawbw.com> wrote:
> 
>> A problem I see is that your will may change from hour to hour
>> (possibly depending on mood, or even caffeine and so forth),
>> as I go into more below.
> 
> I don't see that as a problem. As I wrote to Stathis in another message, I  
> view continuity of self as no more than a convenient fiction,  
> philosophically speaking.
> 
> I'm quite certain I'm not the same person I seemed to be at age five and  
> in my view it follows logically that neither am I the same person I seemed  
> to be five minutes ago.

Now that's logic for you.  Since it's not the same season it was a few
months ago, then it must follow logically that today it's not the same
season it was yesterday.  On the contrary, logic grabs you by the throat
and forces you to admit that things change gradually.

Okay, so Gordon a.k.a. is a convenient fiction.  What do you care
whether this convenient fiction lives or dies?

Oh.  I forgot.  You do die every moment.  Okay, so what do you
care whether there is a new gts waking up in *your* bed (of all
the nerve) and assuming *your* identity?   Oh yes.  Now I remember.
That creature happens to have the same *will* as you do you.

Was ist das will?  Can it be separated from your memories?  If so,
then I have a great bargain for you!  For a mere $250,000 let the
creature who wakes up in your bed tomorrow have your will, but
have Lee Corbin's memories.  We both win.  Your will gets 250K
to exert its control in the world, and I get more runtime!

>>> In fact they never were the same person; it simply took a while
>>> for their wills to diverge sufficiently to make the truth apparent.
>>
>> You're right in that my duplicate and I might muse on how odd it
>> was. We would no doubt attribute it to a most interesting divergence
>> of our internal workings.
> 
> Odd is an understatement. :)
> 
> If that other man were **really** you then he would have your unique will,  
> which includes your unique will to eat cornflakes for breakfast instead of  
> wheaties.

Oops.  Sorry for misunderstanding you.  So the gts tomorrow who 
suddenly on whim changes his choice of breakfast cereal doesn't 
even have your will.  Boy, are you history!

Lee

> Furthermore he would be choosing to eat the cornflakes from your  
> bowl while sitting in your chair and wearing your shoes. :)




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