- I think that most everyone here accepts that total replication of a physical person (including the person's brain) would not produce a replication of the self -- i.e., this total physical replication would not produce one consciousness overseeing both bodies.
- Anyone disagree with that?
Good Morning, Mr. Savage.
My disagreement is, as usual, somewhat nuanced.
Like your "infinite resources" (in a finite universe) hypothetical, your "total replication" hypothetical is not (even theoretically) possible--at best, you would be producing a
similar copy, made of
different atoms (as the atoms of the original would be busy being the original), and even that is not possible given what we know.
Granting, purely for the sake of argument, an "exact" copy of a particular moment in the life of an organism, would not that "exact copy" be no more than a meat sculpture? How do you propose to "bring it to life", as it were? It will not do to propose some as-yet-not-possible energizing process ("It...Is...ALIVE"), unless the original had also been brought to life by the same process, as consciousness is, apparently, an emergent property of a neurosystem--and the experiences of the neurosystem are formative in the nature and identity of the consciousness that emerges.
Which brings me, inevitably, to the point that I have raised, and others have raised, and you have ignored: That "exact copy", even if brought to life, would be subject to different experiences, different conditions, from the original; and, as such, would inevitable develop into a different consciousness. Why is it that you have never responded to this argument?
There is an even deeper, and more fatal flaw, to your idea of a "shared consciousness". There is no known or proposed mechanism whereby such a consciousness might be "shared".
If it is a radiant effect, it would obey the inverse cube law (if it were a strong enough signal to be received across a state, it would be physically dangerous in the proximity of the same room)--not to mention there is no proposed mechanism by which such a radiant carrier wave might be generated by the body, nor received.
If it is supposed to be some ectoplasmic effect, or some aethereal effect, none such has ever been demonstrated; nor has any plausible mechanism for any such been proposed.
If it is supposed to be some supernatural effect of "souls", then you are in the wrong forum, and should petition to have this moved to Religion, instanter.
In that light, what is the mechanism by which you propose that consciousness might be shared between two discrete neurosystems? Please explain, and consider presenting practical, empirical, objective evidence of the existence and functioning of your proposed mechanism.
Lastly, why are you, the source of so many complaints about civility and disrespect, content to leave your dealings with Dr. Hoerl based upon a lie you have told? I am very disappointed with the degree of honesty, much less accuracy, you are demonstrating.
