The laws of physics copies you. Both copies are next to you. Is the copy a person? Is it you?
It is a person, and it is as much me as I am- it has a descendent one tick later which is as much me` as the descendent of the other copy. Here we hit the ship problem.
The laws of physics copies your friend, Bob. The copy is next to Bob Is the copy still Bob?
The descendant of the copy is as much Bob as the descendent of the original.
The laws of physics copies you. The copy exists in a universe with different rules. Is the copy a person? Is it you?
That depends on the rules of the simulation in which the copy exists; assuming it is only the starting condition which differs, the two are indistinguishable.
Duplicate
Duplicate
You meet a robot. As far as you can tell, it is as sentient as your friend Bob. Is the robot a person?
If ‘person’ is understood to mean ‘sentient’, then I conclude that the robot is a person. If ‘person’ is understood to mean ‘human’, then I conclude that the robot is a robot.
The laws of physics scans your brain, simplifies it down to pure math (as complex as required to avoid changing how anything behaves) and programs this into the brain of a robot. Is this robot a person? Is it you?
Assuming that the premise is possible; assuming that life-support is also maintained identically (the brain of the robot has identical blood flow through it, which requires that the robot brain have a physically identical structure); the robot is as sentient as I am and it’s decisions are defined to be identical to mine. It is not as much me as the direct descendent of me is.
The laws of physicscauses to appear a simulating machine with a copy of your brainThey connect a robot to the simulation. Is the result a person? Is it you?
Assuming that the robot uses a perfect simulation of a brain instead of a real one, it is as sentient as if it were using a brain. It is not identical with the previous robot nor with me.
The laws of physics tortures you for a thousand years. Is this wrong, in your estimation?
Undesirable. Since the matrix lord does not make decisions in any context I am aware of, it can’t be wrong.
The laws of physics tortures your friend Bob for a thousand years. Is this wrong, in your estimation?
Ditto
The laws of physics tortures you for a thousand years, then the universe returns to a state identical to the state prior to the torture. Is the result the same person who was tortured? Is the result the same person as before the torture?
‘Same’ has lost meaning in this context.
The laws of physics tortures you for a thousand years, then the universe returns to a state identical to the state prior to the torture. Is this wrong in your estimation?
I can’t tell the difference between this case and any contrary case; either way, I observe a universe in which I have not yet been tortured.
Now that I have the time and capability:
It is a person, and it is as much me as I am- it has a descendent one tick later which is as much me` as the descendent of the other copy. Here we hit the ship problem.
The descendant of the copy is as much Bob as the descendent of the original.
That depends on the rules of the simulation in which the copy exists; assuming it is only the starting condition which differs, the two are indistinguishable.
If ‘person’ is understood to mean ‘sentient’, then I conclude that the robot is a person. If ‘person’ is understood to mean ‘human’, then I conclude that the robot is a robot.
Assuming that the premise is possible; assuming that life-support is also maintained identically (the brain of the robot has identical blood flow through it, which requires that the robot brain have a physically identical structure); the robot is as sentient as I am and it’s decisions are defined to be identical to mine. It is not as much me as the direct descendent of me is.
Assuming that the robot uses a perfect simulation of a brain instead of a real one, it is as sentient as if it were using a brain. It is not identical with the previous robot nor with me.
Undesirable. Since the matrix lord does not make decisions in any context I am aware of, it can’t be wrong.
Ditto
‘Same’ has lost meaning in this context.
I can’t tell the difference between this case and any contrary case; either way, I observe a universe in which I have not yet been tortured.