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One Self: The Logic of Experience
Abstract
Imagine that you and a duplicate of yourself are lying unconscious, next to each other, about to undergo a complete step-by-step exchange of bits of your bodies. It certainly seems that at no stage in this exchange of bits will you have thereby switched places with your duplicate. Yet it also seems that the end-result, with all the bits exchanged, will be essentially that of the two of you having switched places. Where will you awaken? I claim that one and the same person possesses both bodies, occupies both places and will experience both awakenings, just as a person whose brain has been bisected must at once experience both of the unconnected fields of awareness, even though each of these will falsely appear to him as the entirety of his experience. I also claim that the more usual apparent boundaries of persons are as illusory as those in brain bisection; personal identity remains unchanged through any variation or multiplication of body or mind. In all conscious life there is only one person - I - whose existence depends merely on the presence of a quality that is inherent in all experience - its quality of being mine, the simple immediacy of it for whatever is having experience. One powerful argument for this is statistical: on the ordinary view of personhood it is an incredible coincidence for you (though not for others) that out of 200,000,000 sperm cells the very one required on each occasion for your future existence was first to the egg in each of the begettings of yourself and all your ancestors. The only view that does not make your existence incredible, and that is not therefore (from your perspective) an incredible view, is that any conscious being would necessarily have been you anyway. It is a consequence that self-interest should extend to all conscious organisms.
Supplementary resource (1)
... He then proceeds, in thought experiment, to slice up the brain, trade brain sections with other people, sever connections between hemispheres, and so forth, to arrive at various conclusions (such as the "fission" or "fusion" of identities) that are at odds with transtemporal identity. Zuboff [6] also starts with replication of a brain that "is a precise duplicate of yours in every discriminable respect..." and concludes that so-called fission -in which "one subject can, in a single next moment, experience two differing non-integrated contents of experience" -is the necessary outcome. These "brain-in-a-vat" style thought experiments have dominated philosophical theories of mind and identity, not to mention science fiction, for decades, and represent the best prima facie arguments against transtemporal identity. ...
... Further, while the following arguments apply to a physical state of any size, they are more interesting and elucidating when applied to a small or minimal physical state S 1 that produces conscious state C 1 (although state S 1 need not be the absolute minimum or smallest state that produces the person's consciousness). For instance, if it turns out that the human brain 6 is sufficient to create a person's consciousness, then certainly that brain 6 Specifying physical state S 1 as "the human brain" is quite sloppy, as we really need to specify the features (e.g., relationships among cells, molecules, electrons, etc.) that define state S 1 and give rise to conscious state C 1 . If, for example, state S 1 depends only on how cells act like digital switches, then S 1 can be specified and instantiated in the form of a digital computer. ...
... Zuboff explains[6]: "This experience [across brains] of being you, here, now, would be numerically the same whenever, as well as wherever, it was realized." ...
The possibility that consciousness is algorithmic depends on the assumption that conscious states can be copied or repeated by sufficiently duplicating their underlying physical states, leading to a variety of paradoxes including the problems of duplication, teleportation, simulation, self-location, the Boltzmann brain, and Wigner’s Friend. In an effort to further elucidate the physical nature of consciousness, I challenge this assumption by analyzing the implications of special relativity on evolutions of physical copies of a mental state, particularly the divergence of these evolutions due, for example, to quantum fluctuations. I show that the conjunction of three assumptions leads to a logical contradiction: first, that a conscious state supervenes on some sufficient underlying physical state such that instantiation of that physical state is sufficient to create that conscious state; second, that conscious states are associated with transtemporal identity; and third, that two or more physical copies of a conscious state can be instantiated nonlocally in spacetime. I then show that transtemporal identity is logically incompatible with the copiability of conscious states and offer several arguments in favor of transtemporal identity and against copiability of conscious states. Several explanatory hypotheses and implications are addressed, particularly the relationships between consciousness, locality, physical irreversibility, and quantum no-cloning.
... He then proceeds, in thought experiment, to slice up the brain, trade brain sections with other people, sever connections between hemispheres, and so forth, to arrive at various conclusions (such as the "fission" or "fusion" of identities) that are at odds with transtemporal identity. Zuboff [6] also starts with replication of a brain that "is a precise duplicate of yours in every discriminable respect..." and concludes that so-called fission -in which "one subject can, in a single next moment, experience two differing non-integrated contents of experience" -is the necessary outcome. These "brain-in-a-vat" style thought experiments have dominated philosophical theories of mind and identity, not to mention science fiction, for decades, and represent the best prima facie arguments against transtemporal identity. ...
... Further, while the following arguments apply to a physical state of any size, they are more interesting and elucidating when applied to a small or minimal physical state S 1 that produces conscious state C 1 (although state S 1 need not be the absolute minimum or smallest state that produces the person's consciousness). For instance, if it turns out that the human brain 6 is sufficient to create a person's consciousness, then certainly that brain 6 Specifying physical state S 1 as "the human brain" is quite sloppy, as we really need to specify the features (e.g., relationships among cells, molecules, electrons, etc.) that define state S 1 and give rise to conscious state C 1 . If, for example, state S 1 depends only on how cells act like digital switches, then S 1 can be specified and instantiated in the form of a digital computer. ...
... Zuboff explains[6]: "This experience [across brains] of being you, here, now, would be numerically the same whenever, as well as wherever, it was realized." ...
The possibility of algorithmic consciousness depends on the assumption that conscious states can be copied or repeated by sufficiently duplicating their underlying physical states, leading to a variety of paradoxes, including the problems of duplication, teleportation, simulation, self-location, the Boltzmann brain, and Wigner's Friend. In an effort to further elucidate the physical nature of consciousness, I challenge these assumptions by analyzing the implications of special relativity on evolutions of identical copies of a mental state, particularly the divergence of these evolutions due to quantum fluctuations. By assuming the supervenience of a conscious state on some sufficient underlying physical state, I show that the existence of two or more instances, whether spacelike or timelike, of the same conscious state leads to a logical contradiction, ultimately refuting the assumption that a conscious state can be physically reset to an earlier state or duplicated by any physical means. Several explanatory hypotheses and implications are addressed, particularly the relationships between consciousness, locality, physical irreversibility, and quantum no-cloning.
... We further explore why a novel probability theory would be required, along the lines of the principle of indifference [1] and the sleeping beauty problem [2][3][4]. ...
... The question could be raised -why is a new probability theory necessary? The discussions around the principle of indifference [1] and the Sleeping Beauty Problem [2][3][4] addressed this question -indeed, the quantum probability theory is necessary. The question of deriving the quantum probability theory was relegated to quantum reconstruction projects, which derive quantum mechanics from epistemic requirements [10][11][12]. ...
It is often assumed that the complete physics theory of the universe is computable - in sense that it can provide meaningful theoretical predictions for every phenomenon of the universe. Against this view, it is argued that once quantum mechanics is understood as encompassing a novel concept of probability, thereby resolving the measurement problem in straightforward ways, the interpretation speaks for uncomputability of the complete physics theory. The reasons why a new theory of probability is needed are explored, along the lines of the principle of indifference and the sleeping beauty problem.
... The Sleeping Beauty Problem [1,2] , also known as the thorny issue of self-locating belief, is a thought experiment in Probability Theory, Philosophy of Science, and related fields. The problem can be stated as follows: ...
This paper presents a little reflection about the Sleeping Beauty Problem, maybe contributing to shed light on it and perhaps helping to find a simple and elegant solution that could definitively resolve the controverses about it.
Mathematics Subject Classification (2020). Primary 91B06; Secondary 62C12.
... This is the position ofKolak (2004), which he calls 'open individualism';Zuboff (1990), under the name of 'universalism'; and also, apparently, that of Advaita Vedāntaamong others. ...
The starting point of the present work is the intuition that it is conceivable that I was a different person than the one that I am, i.e. that it is conceivable that “I” would have existed even if the person that I am had not, and vice-versa. The implication of this intuition as regards the nature of ourselves (of the “I”), the possible relation between subjects of experience and persons, and the problem of personal identity are explored.
The first chapter illustrates and explicates the basic intuition in more detail. The second chapter offers an analysis of experience, a closer look at its content and the ways brain states can relate to experience. The third chapter aims to elucidate that in virtue of which a person is (or could be) me, that is, the “mineness” of experience. Utilizing the concepts from the previous chapters, chapters four and five give further depth to the key question of this work ‒ i.e. why am I the person that I am? Whereas the earlier chapters seek to explain how to understand this question so that it is not trivial, to cast light on the concepts behind the words, the two penultimate chapters identify the assumptions we have about ourselves, i.e. the common assumptions about which people one actually is (which experiences are mine), and why, point out some of their problematic implications, and sketch a few alternative solutions. The final chapter tackles the problem of personal identity, starting from the understanding that subjectivity, i.e. the mineness of experience, is crucial to what we are.
keywords: subject of experience, mineness of experience, primary self-consciousness, pre-reflective self-awareness, person, personal identity.
The “Slicing Problem” is a thought experiment that raises questions for substrate-neutral computational theories of consciousness, including those that specify a certain causal structure for the computation like Integrated Information Theory. The thought experiment uses water-based logic gates to construct a computer in a way that permits cleanly slicing each gate and connection in half, creating two identical computers each instantiating the same computation. The slicing can be reversed and repeated via an on/off switch, without changing the amount of matter in the system. The question is what do different computational theories of consciousness believe is happening to the number and nature of individual conscious units as this switch is toggled. Under a token interpretation, there are now two discrete conscious entities; under a type interpretation, there may remain only one. Both interpretations lead to different implications depending on the adopted theoretical stance. Any route taken either allows mechanisms for “consciousness-multiplying exploits” or requires ambiguous boundaries between conscious entities, raising philosophical and ethical questions for theorists to consider. We discuss resolutions under different theories of consciousness for those unwilling to accept consciousness-multiplying exploits. In particular, we specify three features that may help promising physicalist theories to navigate such thought experiments.
What is it to be a person? What is the relation between a person and the animal (human being) he shares his matter with? Throughout I shall assume a non-Cartesian conception of persons: persons are not immaterial, non-spatial substances, and have no immaterial parts. Hence, I take it as axiomatic that each person shares his matter with a human being. But are we entitled to assert, in addition, that the relation between a person and the animal he shares his matter with is that of strict numerical identity? In order to answer this question, it is important to be clear about what it is to be a person. I shall therefore begin by attempting to clarify some fundamental aspects of our concept of a person.
The mind-brain problem and free will, its meaning, its historical origins, and its significance to philosophy, religion, and society are all important for psychiatry. It is important for psychiatrists as well as mental health workers to understand mental events as well as the limits of our understanding and the consequences of these limits in the way we perceive mental disorders and manage patients suffering from them as well as their families.
L’histoire de la théorie de la probabilité peut être perçue comme l’évolution des relations entre deux interprétations, épistémique et ontique. Certains problèmes récents décrivent la situation d’un agent rationnel aux croyances auto-localisantes : il estime la probabilité de ses possibles positions dans le monde (temps, espace, identité) et plus seulement dans l’espace logique. Il arrive qu’un fréquentiste ou un adepte d’une lecture ontologique de la probabilité, en essayant de se localiser, conclut des résultats si différents de ceux du bayésien plus subjectif, que se crée un inédit et inquiétant écart entre leurs probabilités. Démêler cette situation paradoxale passe par une enquête sur les théories philosophiques et scientifiques qui l’ont engendrée, dont la réunion chez d’importants penseurs contemporains comme David Lewis est peut-être l’occasion d’un retour, sous une forme neuve plus acceptable, des intuitions incomprises de Jean le Rond D’Alembert. Cette recherche de liens historiques entre interprétation double et auto-localisation mène à l’analyse de plusieurs problèmes et surtout à l’étude du récent mais déjà célèbre paradoxe de la Belle au bois dormant : les principales tentatives de résolution trouvées dans la littérature sont longuement expliquées et critiquées, puis est esquissée une solution originale qui prétend réparer la scission ontique épistémique due à la perte d’un repère temporel de l’agent rationnel.
If the laws of nature are fine-tuned for life, can we infer other universes with different laws? How could we even test such a theory without empirical access to those distant places? Can we believe in the multiverse of the Everett interpretation of quantum theory or in the reality of other possible worlds, as advocated by philosopher David Lewis? At the intersection of physics and philosophy of science, this book outlines the philosophical challenge to theoretical physics in a measured, well-grounded manner. The origin of multiverse theories are explored within the context of the fine-tuning problem and a systematic comparison between the various different multiverse models are included. Cosmologists, high energy physicists, and philosophers including graduate students and researchers will find a systematic exploration of such questions in this important book.
In this book we are trying to illuminate the persistent and nag ging questions of how mind, life, and the essence of being relate to brain mechanisms. We do that not because we have a commit ment to bear witness to the boring issue of reductionism but be cause we want to know more about what it's all about. How, in deed, does the brain work? How does it allow us to love, hate, see, cry, suffer, and ultimately understand Kepler's laws? We try to uncover clues to these staggering questions by con sidering the results of our studies on the bisected brain. Several years back, one of us wrote a book with that title, and the ap proach was to describe how brain and behavior are affected when one takes the brain apart. In the present book, we are ready to put it back together, and go beyond, for we feel that split-brain studies are now at the point of contributing to an understanding of the workings of the integrated mind. We are grateful to Dr. Donald Wilson of the Dartmouth Medi cal School for allowing us to test his patients. We would also like to thank our past and present colleagues, including Richard Naka mura, Gail Risse, Pamela Greenwood, Andy Francis, Andrea El berger, Nick Brecha, Lynn Bengston, and Sally Springer, who have been involved in various facets of the experimental studies on the bisected brain described in this book.
The basic features of galaxies, stars, planets and the everyday world are essentially determined by a few microphysical constants and by the effects of gravitation. Many interrelations between different scales that at first sight seem surprising are straightforward consequences of simple physical arguments. But several aspects of our Universe—some of which seem to be prerequisites for the evolution of any form of life—depend rather delicately on apparent ‘coincidences’ among the physical constants.
Cosmic Teleology', The Existence of God
- F R Tenant
F. R. Tenant, 'Cosmic Teleology', The Existence of God, ed. by John Hick (New York: Macmillan, 1964), pp. 121-36.
The Anthropic Principle and the Structure of the Physical World 8 Stephen Hawking, Is the End in Sight for Theoretical Physics? (Cambridge
- J Carr
J. Carr and M. J. Rees, "The Anthropic Principle and the Structure of the Physical World', Nature 278 (April 1979), p. 612. 8 Stephen Hawking, Is the End in Sight for Theoretical Physics? (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1980), p. 4. Received 30 June 1989 Arnold Zuboff, Department of Philosophy, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, England Downloaded by [] at 15:03 03 January 2015