Death isn't just the absence of life; it's the cessation of life that once existed. The Bootes Void, so far as we know, has no life at all, and yet nobody feels it is a great tragedy.
- Tom --- MindInstance <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> Objective observers care only about the type of a > person and whether it's > >> instantiated, not about the fate of its instances > (because, frankly, they're not > >> aware of the difference between the type and an > instance). But since I know > >> better, > >> I would be sad about dead instances. The point is > whether I'm sad/upset or not > >> about a fact not does change that fact. > > Stathis: > > Most people would be upset by the prospect of > their death, and if > > death is interruption of brain processes, they > should be upset by > > this. However, it is your definition of death > which is at issue. If > > someone chose to objectively define death as > replacement of a certain > > proportion of the matter in a person's brain, what > argument would you > > use against this definition? > > I would suggest focusing on definition of life > first. Only then one can have a > decent chance at getting the correct definition of > death (absence of life). > > Life is not just a collection of atoms arranged into > a special pattern. It is, at > least, a spatiotemporal process guided by a special > pattern. Also, it is not > information about the pattern (data), but the > process itself (activity). > > It's probably useful to think about life in terms of > layers of abstraction. There's > an implementation layer starting with atom layer, > then neuron layer, and so on, > that makes life possible, yet is not life itself. > Life happens at the > spatiotemporal "process layer" which means that > details of implementation layer > beneath process layer are not important as long as > its function is preserved. > Suppose you want to watch a movie. It doesn't really > matter if the movie is fed by > DVD player to CRT screen or by VHS player to LCD. > This is implementation layer and > it is almost orthogonal to the process layer of you > reacting emotionally to the > movie. Unsurprisingly, you and I are still *alive* > even though our implementation > layers undergo gradual replacement. I'm still alive > because my process layer hasn't > been disturbed by the changes at implementation > layers (although it could, of > course). > > This is just an outline of what life is physically. > Defining death would be > slightly more complicated. :-) > > H. > > ----- > This list is sponsored by AGIRI: > http://www.agiri.org/email > To unsubscribe or change your options, please go to: > http://v2.listbox.com/member/?&; > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket: mail, news, photos & more. http://mobile.yahoo.com/go?refer=1GNXIC ----- This list is sponsored by AGIRI: http://www.agiri.org/email To unsubscribe or change your options, please go to: http://v2.listbox.com/member/?member_id=4007604&id_secret=10760699-0b274d
