Sunday, October 10, 2010

Faulty Logic in the "Uploading" Debate

In my opinion, this is the most significant point made, thus far, in the recent "uploading" debates:

Mr. Ettinger: "Luke's remarks about simulations being real, i.e. that the parts and events in a computer are material, is irrelevant."
http://www.network54.com/Forum/291677/message/1286700895/confusing+and+misleading

Luke's comment was truly irrelevant. As I understand it, (or thought I understood it), the point of uploading was to transcend the human body, and live forever. Luke's argument that his simulation of a hydrogen atom, (whether on paper, or programmed into a computer), is "real," is lame. Yes, a photo of me would be "real," (a real photo of me), but it would not be me. Luke is going off on a tangent, while Mr. Ettinger is sticking to the debate of whether a copy could ever be the original. (Mr. Ettinger has a lot more patience, than I!)

No comments: