Hi all,
I have been tied up in a lot of things, so my involvement in recent discussions
has been minimal (I do read and try to understand them).
My reaction to Higgo's proposal is, for a given 'observer-moment', wouldn't
there be many, many more possible trains of previous observer-moments making up
a consistent psychological history/identity than those trains which are random
(including the lack of a psychological history and identity)? This seems very
analogous to the white-rabbits problem.
Fred
Higgo James wrote:
> Hmm.. it seems to be very difficult point to make, perhaps because it is so
> very very simple: just this very idea (of you reading this e-mail, and all
> the thoughts that entails) is known to exist. Don't infer from that, that
> there is an objective 'you' out there. Don't make that leap which is so
> natural you can't even see you're making it.
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Russell Standish [SMTP:R.Standish.domain.name.hidden]
> > Sent: Thursday, 04 May, 2000 12:45 AM
> > To: james.higgo.domain.name.hidden
> > Cc: R.Standish.domain.name.hidden; everything-list.domain.name.hidden.com; j.domain.name.hidden.co.uk
> > Subject: Re: this very moment
> >
> > So what's your point? You're being particularly obtuse today.
> >
> > Higgo James wrote:
> > >
> > > 'Psychological time' is a concept of time, part of your current
> > psychology.
> > > Occam would disapprove of assuming that psychological events are real
> > > events; assuming a hard, physical world when there is no need for one.
> > >
> > > The simplest possible explanation for 'you' is: everything exsists,
> > > therefore this current thought exisits.
> > >
> > > It makes no sense to speak of an objective 'you' - it's as fatuous as
> > > pointing at a square piece of pastry, saying 'there's a fish!' and
> > cutting a
> > > fish shape out of the square to prove it.
> > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: Russell Standish [SMTP:R.Standish.domain.name.hidden]
> > > > Sent: Wednesday, 03 May, 2000 1:25 AM
> > > > To: james.higgo.domain.name.hidden
> > > > Cc: R.Standish.domain.name.hidden; everything-list.domain.name.hidden.com
> > > > Subject: Re: this very moment
> > > >
> > > > There needs to be psychological time in which to unravel the history
> > > > embedded in a single observer moment. Once one has psychological time,
> > > > one may as well go the whole hog and have a complete history, with an
> > > > infinite number of observer moments.
> > > >
> > > > Its an Occam thing. Nothing rules out a "Groundhog Day" type of
> > > > effect, where we endlessly keep playing back a small piece of history
> > > > (eg 1 day, or even 10 seconds if you like), however I suspect this is
> > > > a more complicated explanation (therefore of smaller measure) than
> > > > just assuming that we live our whole lives.
> > > >
> > > > Cheers
> > > >
> > > > Higgo James wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Would someone please give me a reason why there needs to be anything
> > > > more to
> > > > > the observer than 'this very conscious moment' ?
> > > > > James
> > > > > >
> > > >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > > > --
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > --
> > > > Dr. Russell Standish Director
> > > > High Performance Computing Support Unit, Phone 9385 6967
> > > >
> > > > UNSW SYDNEY 2052 Fax 9385 6965
> >
> > > > Australia R.Standish.domain.name.hidden
> >
> > > > Room 2075, Red Centre http://parallel.hpc.unsw.edu.au/rks
> > > >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > --
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > --
> > Dr. Russell Standish Director
> > High Performance Computing Support Unit, Phone 9385 6967
> >
> > UNSW SYDNEY 2052 Fax 9385 6965
> > Australia R.Standish.domain.name.hidden
> > Room 2075, Red Centre http://parallel.hpc.unsw.edu.au/rks
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > --
Received on Thu May 04 2000 - 20:29:29 PDT