I agree with the comments made by Jesse Mazer and Saibal Mitra, and would go further to suggest that there *necessarily* exists a continuous series of intermediates between any two minds, if you allow that essentially a mind is a mathematical structure - an algorithm or a computer program. You are not then restricted to constructing only those minds which could in theory be implemented on a human brain, or by making sequential changes in one person's brain to arrive at another person's brain. Using your PC/ Mac example, this would be like saying that although it might not be possible to convert one into the other by means of wirecutters and soldering iron, there are a large number of possible operating systems between OS X and Windows XP, all running on a general purpose computer, which would provide the required gradual transition.
Having said that, I still think it misses the point. The fact that Parfit's thought experiments sometimes seem to have a degree of scientific plausibility is just a bonus that makes his writing more entertaining. Parfit's ideas on personal identity are squarely in the tradition of John Locke, who wrote about transfer of "consciousness" from one person to another, suggesting that it is this consciousness (which importantly includes the donor's memories) which determines identity rather than the physical body in which it happens to reside. Clearly, this kind of mind transfer was a completely ridiculous notion in the 17th century, and probably still is. But technical feasibility (or indeed physical possibility) was not part of Locke's argument, nor was it used as ammunition against him by his philosophical opponents. His argument was that IF it were possible to transfer memory etc. from one person to another, THEN the recipient would feel himself to be the donor, even though he would notice that he had a completely different body. Opponents of this view argue that it is NOT the case that transfer of memories etc. from one body to another - WERE it possible - would result in transfer of personal identity (see R. & P. chap 10.82 for Bernard Williams' thought experiment, for example). Stathis Papaioannou > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:everything- > [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Russell Standish > Sent: Monday, 29 May 2006 8:22 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: Reasons and Persons > > > On Mon, May 29, 2006 at 07:15:33PM +1000, Stathis Papaioannou wrote: > > > > I don't see why you are so sure about the necessity of passing through > > non-functional brain structures going from you to Napoleon. After all, > > there is a continuous sequence of intermediates between you and a > > fertilized ovum, and on the face of it you have much more in common > > mentally and physically with Napoleon than with a fertilized ovum. > > However, technical feasibility is not the point. The point is that *if* > > (let's say magically) your mind were gradually transformed, so that your > > We need to be a bit more precise than "magically". In Parfit's book he > talks about swapping out my neurons for the equivalent neurons in > Napoleon's brain. Sure this is not exactly technically feasible at > present, but for thought experiment purposes it is adequate, and > suffices for doing the teleporting experiment. > > The trouble I have is that Napoleon's brain will be wired completely > differently to my own. Substituting enough of his neurons and > connections will eventually just disrupt the functioning of my brain. > > Perhaps there is some other way of passing through functioning brain > states, but not in the way Parfit describes it. Perhaps there is a way > going through a sequence of brains states to when I was an embryo, > then reversing the process via developing Napoleon's brain. But would > each stage be conscious? It is still debatable whether children under > the age of 12 months are conscious (eg in the sense of being > self-aware), let alone the mind of a foetus. > > All I can say is that things are definitely more subtle than Parfit was > implying. > > > -- > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- > -- > A/Prof Russell Standish Phone 8308 3119 (mobile) > Mathematics 0425 253119 (") > UNSW SYDNEY 2052 [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Australia > http://parallel.hpc.unsw.edu.au/rks > International prefix +612, Interstate prefix 02 > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- > -- > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
