Beyond a certain point, I doubt that the content of the additional minds will be interestingly novel.
Somehow people keep finding meaning in failling in love and starting a family, even when billions of people have already done that before. We also find meaning in doing careers that are very similar to what million of people have done before or traveling to destination that has been visited by millions of turist. The more similar an activity is to something our ancestors did, the more meaningful it seems.
From the outside, all this looks grabby, but from the inside it feels meaningful.
You can choose or not choose to create more “minds”. If you create them, they will exist and have experiences. If you don’t create them, then they won’t exist and won’t have experiences.
That means that you’re free to not create them based on an “outside” view. You don’t have to think about the “inside” experiences of the minds you don’t create, because those experiences don’t and will never exist. That’s still true even on a timeless view; they never exist at any time or place. And it includes not having to worry about whether or not they would, if they existed, find anything meaningful[1].
If you do choose to create them, then of course you have to be concerned with their inner experiences. But those experiences only matter because they actually exist.
I truly don’t understand why people use that word in this context or exactly what it’s supposed to, um, mean. But pick pretty much any answer and it’s still true.
My point is that potential parents often care about non-existing people: their potential kids. And once they bring these potential kids into existence, those kids might start caring about a next generation.
Simularly, some people/minds will want to expand because that is what their company does, or they would like the experience of exploring a new planet/solar system/galaxy or would like the status of being the first to settle there.
Somehow people keep finding meaning in failling in love and starting a family, even when billions of people have already done that before. We also find meaning in doing careers that are very similar to what million of people have done before or traveling to destination that has been visited by millions of turist. The more similar an activity is to something our ancestors did, the more meaningful it seems.
From the outside, all this looks grabby, but from the inside it feels meaningful.
… but a person who doesn’t exist doesn’t have an “inside”.
Which non-existing person are you refering to?
You can choose or not choose to create more “minds”. If you create them, they will exist and have experiences. If you don’t create them, then they won’t exist and won’t have experiences.
That means that you’re free to not create them based on an “outside” view. You don’t have to think about the “inside” experiences of the minds you don’t create, because those experiences don’t and will never exist. That’s still true even on a timeless view; they never exist at any time or place. And it includes not having to worry about whether or not they would, if they existed, find anything meaningful[1].
If you do choose to create them, then of course you have to be concerned with their inner experiences. But those experiences only matter because they actually exist.
I truly don’t understand why people use that word in this context or exactly what it’s supposed to, um, mean. But pick pretty much any answer and it’s still true.
My point is that potential parents often care about non-existing people: their potential kids. And once they bring these potential kids into existence, those kids might start caring about a next generation. Simularly, some people/minds will want to expand because that is what their company does, or they would like the experience of exploring a new planet/solar system/galaxy or would like the status of being the first to settle there.