X-Message-Number: 14134 Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 08:57:58 -0400 From: Thomas Donaldson <> Subject: more on identity About identity: It looks like I should upload several references and work done on this problem, and I shall do so in a few days. It's fine to want to survive, but exactly what that might mean if it turns out to be partial survival is an interesting and important question. But cryonicists are hardly the only people who've thought in detail about how identity may work; about 5 years ago it because a subject of neurological scientists, too. They may not say much more about its DESIRABILITY, but they may well have some good points to make about how it WORKS ... an obviously important question. As one of the simplest issues raised by this Cryonet discussion, why would a short tape (or even a long one) help us recover our identity? If I listened to your tape, would I then become you? Identity is not simply the knowledge of facts ... though knowledge of facts is somehow involved. Right now I am busy putting together another issue of PERIASTRON (which has discussed work on personal identity by neuroscientists, though it doesn't look as if the coming issue will say much on that question). When that is close to finished, then I'll put together a text bibliography on identity and make it available to anyone who wants it. But before that, here are a few books: DC Dennett CONSCIOUSNESS EXPLAINED --- at least according to Dennett PS Churchward NEUROPHILOSOPHY J Pollock HOW TO BUILD A PERSON J LeDeau THE EMOTIONAL BRAIN Am I proposing that these books give a complete account? Not at all. But it does help to compare your ideas with those of others, both to make them stronger and to deal with objections you may not have thought of. Best and long long life to all, Thomas Donaldson Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=14134