Brent Meeker writes:
> Stathis Papaioannou wrote:
> >
> >
> > Mark Peaty writes:
> >
> >> SP: 'Getting back to the original question about teleportation
> >> experiments, are you saying that it would be impossible, or just
> >> technically very difficult to preserve personal identity whilst
> >> undergoing such a process? As Brent pointed out, technical difficulty
> >> is not an issue in thought experiments. ,
> >> MP: I have answered this, in responding to Brent. In summary I say: if
> >> it is just A [any old] rendition of a human you want, then given that
> >> thought experiments allow that all practical challenges can be
> >> overcome, the answer is Yes! On the other hand if the strict
> >> requirement of an exact copy of a particular person is required to be
> >> output then it becomes a question of whether or not truly infinite
> >> computing power is required to calculate the changes occurring within
> >> the original at scan time. If it is then the answer is NO, because
> >> infinity is infinity.
> >> I think Derek Parfit's copier [Reasons and Persons Ch 10] was
> >> 'usually' producing complete and accurate copies, because one of his
> >> scenarios addresses what would happen if there was a fault in the
> >> transmission.
> >
> > The brain manages to maintain identity from moment to moment without
> > perfect copying or infinite computing power. Of course, you may need
> > very good copying and very great computing power, but this is different
> > in kind, not just in degree, from perfect copying and infinite computing
> > power.
> >
> > Stathis Papaioannou
>
> And does it even have to be very good? Suppose it made a sloppy copy of me that left out 90% of my memories - would it still be "me"? How much fidelity is required for Bruno's argument? I think not much.
>
> Brent Meeker
I don't think there is any clear answer to that question. Even more difficult to
answer, if I were copied 10 times in 10 different locations, with each copy having
progressively fewer of my original memories (i.e. copy no. 1 has 100% while copy
no. 10 has only 10%), what should my expectation of where I will end up be?
Stathis Papaioannou
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Received on Sun Jan 07 2007 - 18:59:30 PST