Consciousness and the Ship of Theseus

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The discussion centers on the philosophical concept of the Ship of Theseus, which raises questions about identity and continuity. It draws parallels to the human brain, which undergoes gradual replacement of its cells over approximately seven years, suggesting that a person's consciousness could persist despite physical changes. The conversation explores the implications of potentially creating processors that replicate brain functions, questioning whether a person could experience consciousness as a robot after such replacements. The topic highlights the complexities of identity, consciousness, and the nature of being, while also noting that some participants believe the discussion does not align with philosophical standards.
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I'm sure many of you have heard of the ship of Theseus. If not,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus

"The ship wherein Theseus and the youth of Athens returned [from Crete] had thirty oars, and was preserved by the Athenians down even to the time of Demetrius Phalereus, for they took away the old planks as they decayed, putting in new and stronger timber in their place, insomuch that this ship became a standing example among the philosophers, for the logical question of things that grow; one side holding that the ship remained the same, and the other contending that it was not the same."
-Plutarch, Theseus

Now, you know where I'm going with this. The human brain is replaced one part at a time, and after about seven years, it contains no parts from the original. Most would agree that a human being's consciousness will survive after they have died.

When I say consciousness, I am talking about the purely subjective ability to experience experiences. After my brain has been replaced entirely, (hopefully) I will subjectively still experience being alive even though my brain has quite literally been turned into mush and replaced by a new one.

Now what if I create processors that can mimic the functions of parts of my brain, and replaced these parts one at a time? Would I eventually, subjectively get to experience being a robot?
 
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GladScientist said:
Now, you know where I'm going with this. The human brain is replaced one part at a time, and after about seven years, it contains no parts from the original. Most would agree that a human being's consciousness will survive after they have died.
I would hope that most would not agree.

I'm sorry but this does not meet the requirements for posting in philosophy.
 
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