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Article 5425 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: zlsiida@fs1.mcc.ac.uk (dave budd)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Ego death
Message-ID: <zlsiida.145@fs1.mcc.ac.uk>
Date: 5 May 92 12:29:11 GMT
References: <X4q5JB2w164w@cybernet.cse.fau.edu>
Organization: Manchester Computing Centre
Lines: 30

In article <X4q5JB2w164w@cybernet.cse.fau.edu> tomh.bbs@cybernet.cse.fau.edu writes:

>Assuming we can transfer a human's mind into a device, such as
>by one-at-a-time neuron replacement or somesuch, so that there
>is continuity for the conscious human.  Assume that the "state"
>of the device can be completely quantified, stored, and re-established
>in a different but identical device.

>If the device is turned off, and then restored from 'backup',
>the new resident 'mind' would presumably not be aware of anything
>that had transpired after the backup was made, but would also
>not be aware of any gap in continuity.  So the person would still
>think he was 'alive'.  And yet, the old copy has, in effect, died.
>The old copy's 'ego' has terminated and no longer exists.

>To prevent such instances of 'ego death', the state of the device
>must always be saved before being powered off.  Backups would never
>be used after the initial use, the next time the device is turned on.
>(In the event of power fail, or tornado, or other catastrophic
>failure, well, that's the way it goes.  But is it moral to restore
>an old backup?)

>tomh@bambi.ccs.fau.edu
The Muller-Fokker Effect     by     John Sladek
is a riotous romp based on a man who gets recorded onto 4 reels of biotape
which are then sold off as army surplus.  Eventually he gets downloaded into
another body, but it's just not the same.....
+--Great Quotes of our Time---------------------------------------------+
| It is not the policy of this department to backstitch corrective code |
+----------------------------------------R J Collins, compilers, UMRCC--+


