This is something that I’ve been confused about—you mentioned the same thing in another article, talking about “not becoming a mere wanting-thing”. Our cognition is made up of modules, not all of which (as of 2013) exist inside our own skulls anymore. If we can augment our rationality by offloading it onto interdependent systems, in what way are those systems not part of “us”? Instead of having a prefrontal cortex doing our System II thinking for us, we have a pansolar nanotech OS. Instead of having a limbic system doing its desire and motivation, the pansolar nanotech OS has fleshy meatbags. We’re only reduced to a “mere wanting-thing” if we lose the pansolar nanotech OS, which is identical to saying “I become a mere wanting-thing if I have a sufficiently massive anyeurism and/or multiple lobotomy”.
It seems to me that part of keeping my identity small, is keeping it modular—any system which I rely on to enhance my capabilities, is as much a part of me as my flesh is, if not more.
I suppose the difference is experiencing effort and getting the rewards associated with expending effort. You won’t get that without wireheading if you outsource everything.
In my better moments, my identity resides in a tiny part of my brain, just observing different faculties doing their thing. In these moments it wouldn’t matter if the work was outsourced. Then some scumbag faculty reminds me I’m a human and I should indentify with all kinds of processes I don’t understand and suffer as a consequence.
This is something that I’ve been confused about—you mentioned the same thing in another article, talking about “not becoming a mere wanting-thing”. Our cognition is made up of modules, not all of which (as of 2013) exist inside our own skulls anymore. If we can augment our rationality by offloading it onto interdependent systems, in what way are those systems not part of “us”? Instead of having a prefrontal cortex doing our System II thinking for us, we have a pansolar nanotech OS. Instead of having a limbic system doing its desire and motivation, the pansolar nanotech OS has fleshy meatbags. We’re only reduced to a “mere wanting-thing” if we lose the pansolar nanotech OS, which is identical to saying “I become a mere wanting-thing if I have a sufficiently massive anyeurism and/or multiple lobotomy”.
It seems to me that part of keeping my identity small, is keeping it modular—any system which I rely on to enhance my capabilities, is as much a part of me as my flesh is, if not more.
I suppose the difference is experiencing effort and getting the rewards associated with expending effort. You won’t get that without wireheading if you outsource everything.
In my better moments, my identity resides in a tiny part of my brain, just observing different faculties doing their thing. In these moments it wouldn’t matter if the work was outsourced. Then some scumbag faculty reminds me I’m a human and I should indentify with all kinds of processes I don’t understand and suffer as a consequence.