“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.”
I agree that many elements of the state I’m in right now don’t matter very much.
Yea, e.g. lots of variables share the name “x”. It’s just denoting that which you talk about, and while a name can influence your upbringing (say it’s a foreign name), i.e. while it’ll help take you to your current utility function, at least I would not consider it crucial for identity purposes having reached the present time (yet it is essential for daily life, of course). Hopefully that makes my example clearer, if not steelman it as you see fit :), I think even without it my point is comprehensible.
As I said, I wasn’t sure what you meant by “current identity”, which is why I provided two versions of what you might mean.
I was hoping you might endorse one or the other of them, but oh well.
Anyway, yes, if we generalize your point about my name to also include where I was born and what my native language was and what religion I was raised in and the million other demographic data that distinguish me from my ten-years-ago peer, then I agree with you.
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”
Yea, e.g. lots of variables share the name “x”. It’s just denoting that which you talk about, and while a name can influence your upbringing (say it’s a foreign name), i.e. while it’ll help take you to your current utility function, at least I would not consider it crucial for identity purposes having reached the present time (yet it is essential for daily life, of course). Hopefully that makes my example clearer, if not steelman it as you see fit :), I think even without it my point is comprehensible.
As I said, I wasn’t sure what you meant by “current identity”, which is why I provided two versions of what you might mean.
I was hoping you might endorse one or the other of them, but oh well.
Anyway, yes, if we generalize your point about my name to also include where I was born and what my native language was and what religion I was raised in and the million other demographic data that distinguish me from my ten-years-ago peer, then I agree with you.