Re:First-ever human head transplant is now possible, says ne...
by pavel_lishin on Monday July 01, 2013 @10:35PM
(#5975447)
I don't disagree, and I'm excited about these new developments - but continuity-of-consciousness would continue even if I had my bowel ripped out. This is not the case if I had my brain ripped out.
On the other hand, people with radical brain surgery still think they're the same person, putting aside cases like Phineas Gage.
On the gripping hand, even though transferring my brain and its shell to a different body will still maintain my memories, and continuation-of-consciousness and transferring everything neck-down won't, if the person with my guts-and-spleen acts more like me, and the person with my head on their shoulders acts more like the guy whose anus it's attached to acts more like them, perhaps it could be said that we really did switch, despite the memories.
On the other hand, people with radical brain surgery still think they're the same person, putting aside cases like Phineas Gage.
On the gripping hand, even though transferring my brain and its shell to a different body will still maintain my memories, and continuation-of-consciousness and transferring everything neck-down won't, if the person with my guts-and-spleen acts more like me, and the person with my head on their shoulders acts more like the guy whose anus it's attached to acts more like them, perhaps it could be said that we really did switch, despite the memories.