[ExI] simulation as an improvement over reality.

[John Clark]

On Dec 31, 2010, at 5:28 PM, The Avantguardian wrote:

> The soul? Is that what you think this is about? 

Yes, that is exactly what I think this is about. You say the copy is perfect but it is nevertheless missing something; leaving aside the obvious illogic of such a thing, what exactly is this secret sauce that the original has that the copy does not? You say it is not information, and you'd better say it is not atoms or you will end up inundated in absurdities, so this mysterious ingredient must be something else entirely and it is of enormous importance too, but for some unknown reason it cannot be explained or even detected by the scientific method. There is already a word in the English language for something like that, but I can't really blame you, I'd feel pretty foolish using The Word That Must Not Be Named too. 

> I am not talking about metaphysics here.

LIKE HELL YOU'RE NOT! And its not even good metaphysics.

> I am an event that has a set of very physical space-time coordinates.

Congratulations, you have discovered that (some) things happen at a particular place at some time; but of course adjectives like you and me do not.

> Can you copy my space-time coordinates?

Talking about space-time coordinates does sound much more scientific than mundane time and place, even if it means the same thing and brings nothing new to the conversation. And if that is the secret of identity it leads to some peculiar conclusions, you become a completely unrelated person from one second to the next, or when you move from one place to another, a totally different person who's continued consciousness is of absolutely no interest to you, other than that of empathy. And yet despite it all somehow I seem to continue, how odd.

> If my copy does not occupy my position in space and time, it is not me.

Even if that were true, and I have no reason to think it is, how do you even know what position you or your copy are in? If you exchange the position of you and a identical copy of you in a symmetrical room neither you nor the copy will notice the slightest difference, an outside observer will notice no difference either. The very universe itself will not notice that any exchange has occurred. Objectively it makes no difference and subjectively it makes no difference. If the difference is not objective and the difference is not subjective then that rather narrows down your options in pointing out just where that difference is. 

And for God's sake stop sending me copies of your posts, send me the originals!

  John K Clark



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