Philosophy 381: Metaphysics in Science Fiction

Consider the following scenario:(This scenario is adapted from Kiln People, by David Brin--do not, however, prejudge the issue based on Brin's title.)

Sometime in the future the following two technological advances are made--firstly, it becomes possible to determine, and record the complete electro-chemical state of a person, a person's Standing Wave, at a given time. Secondly, clay can be 'energized' such that if a Standing Wave is imprinted on 'energized' clay of a suitable form, the Standing Wave can animate the clay. For example, if the clay is just a lump, then the imprinted Standing Wave will have little or no effect. If the clay is sized and shaped roughly like a human being, then the Standing Wave might generate some human like motion. If the clay model has analogues of vocal cords and airways and muscles, etc., then even more human-like animations, including talking, are possible. Indeed, suppose that clay models can be made such that, other than being made of clay, they exactly duplicate the internal and external structure of human beings. One significant shortcoming of the 'energized' clay, however, is that the 'energy' only lasts for 24 hours, at which point the clay reduces to a liquid slurry.

Now consider a third technological advance--certain portions of the Standing Wave, as it exists in a clay humanoid form, can be re-imprinted into the original person. The reported experience after reimprinting is that of inloading the experiences and memories of the clay humanoid. As a result of this technological breakthrough and the fact that structurally duplicate clay 'blanks' become readily available, it becomes commonplace for people to produce clay golems of themselves, send the golems off to do, see, experience various things, and then inload the experiences and memories. For example, while you may wonder what skydiving feels like, but be unwilling to take the risk yourself, you can now send a golem to skydive and then just inload the experience. Alternatively, if you are overwhlemed by schoolwork, you could make multiple golems, have each golem do some of the work and then inload all the experiences and memories from each golem to gain the benfit of their research. Or suppose, you have a speech you don't really want to give because you expect the audience to have very hard questions-- no problem--just send a golem in your place--it gives the speech, fields the questions, and you just download the experience afterwards. In fact, in order to guarantee the download, each blank comes implanted with a device that, when the golem is reaching the end of its 24 hour 'life' expectancy, generates an irrestable urge in the golem to return to its imprinter for downloading.

Finally, suppose you have successfully imprinted your Standing Wave on three blanks which you then send out to achieve three separate goals of yours. After 23 hours each golem returns and downloads back into you. How many people are contained within you?

In at least three pages (a) answer the question and (b) defend and justify your answer. Be sure to consider possible objections that someone advocating the opposite position might make to your defense and show why those objections fail. You may appeal to the readings of the class so far, but if you appeal to some part that has been objected to, you must provide reasons why the objection is not valid or at least not also an objection to your claims. There is no maximum length, but since I value precision, conciseness, and clarity, excess verbiage should be avoided.

Complete this assignment on separate paper. Sign this sheet at the bottom and staple this sheet to your answers.

Due: Tuesday, November 21, at the beginning of class.

I pledge that I have neither given or received unauthorized assistance during the completion of this work.