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From: KFL@MIT-MC.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: re: matter transmission
Message-ID: <3930@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU>
Date: Sun, 6-Oct-85 17:34:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: topaz.3930
Posted: Sun Oct  6 17:34:46 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 8-Oct-85 07:29:59 EDT
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Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
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From: Keith F. Lynch <KFL@MIT-MC.ARPA>

    Date: 2 Oct 85 15:33:51 EDT
    From: Don.Provan@A.CS.CMU.EDU

    ... my impression increasingly is
    that the other side of the argument is imaging that my soul will
    magically fly to the duplicate and make that hunk of matter "me"
    rather than a mere copy, however identical.

  My opinion is that the 'soul' is simply an emergent phenomenon, arising
from the structure of the matter inside a person.  Duplicate the matter
and you duplicate the 'soul'.
  I do not think that the existing soul will go into the copy, but that a
copy of it will, and this copy will be just as real as the original, i.e.
both copies will think they are you, and both will be right.
  The real question is what makes you you.  It can't be being the precise
same matter as you are right now, as that does get replaced with time.  It
can't be being in the same place you are now, since you move around.  It
can't be there being only one of you, because you object to matter
transmission as well as duplication.  All I can figure is that it is non-
continuity of position, i.e. if you move from one place to another you must
exist as you in all intermediate points.  Is this your position?  If not,
please tell me what is.  If it is, please tell me how you justify it.

								...Keith