I’d imagine I’d like to live as long as life had the potential for those things, even if they weren’t present at a given moment. My concern isn’t necessarily that they’d run out, rather that they don’t really exist in a world where immortality is an option.
And again, being conscious vs. not being conscious is not a world-ending difference to me. I think consciousness is just a localized emergence from a particalur meat-computer. I enjoy/tolerate a persistent illusion of “self” that can change drastically with injury or illness. It is a fragile little state of affairs and I think it is weird (though very natural) to seek to solidify it in a (literally) permanent state.
being conscious vs. not being conscious is not a world-ending difference to me.
Sure. I’m clear on that part, I’m just trying to elicit your preferences on the matter.
My concern isn’t necessarily that they’d run out, rather that they don’t really exist in a world where immortality is an option.
Eh? I don’t really get this. I can understand how, in principle, immortality means that I might eventually reach a point where nothing is novel, or risky, or challenging, or an obstacle, or joyful. I don’t understand how the option of immortality means that right now nothing is novel, or risky, or challenging, or an obstacle, or joyful.
But, OK… I guess I can accept that this is the way it is for you, even if I don’t understand it, and therefore you would prefer not to have that option.
My concern isn’t necessarily that they’d run out, rather that they don’t really exist in a world where immortality is an option.
Eh?
I don’t really get this.
I can understand how, in principle, immortality means that I might eventually reach a point where nothing is novel, or risky, or challenging, or an obstacle, or joyful.
I don’t understand how the option of immortality means that right now nothing is novel, or risky, or challenging, or an obstacle, or joyful.
There would be some novelty at first. But as soon as you became aware life was of an infinite duration and could understand the implications, what would be the motivation for anything? Every conceiveable 1-in-a-billion occurance would become an eventuality. How does risk even make sense in this world? What is an obstacle or a challenge when infinity is realized as a possiblity? I’d imagine it would feel like a game you already know you are going to win… and that is very boring, in my view.
But as soon as you became aware life was of an infinite duration and could understand the implications, what would be the motivation for anything?
Enjoyment. It’s possible to enjoy something despite knowing exactly how it’s going to turn out. For example, when you’re about to take a bite of food you like, you know how it’s going to taste, but that doesn’t eliminate your motivation to eat it.
soon as you became aware life was of an infinite duration and could understand the implications, what would be the motivation for anything?
But we’ve already established that life needn’t be of infinite duration. I can end it at any time, that’s implicit in the question of when I would choose to die. It’s of indefinite duration, which isn’t the same thing at all.
That aside, though… what are your motivations for doing things now?
But we’ve already established that life needn’t be of infinite duration. I can end it at any time, that’s implicit in the question of when I would choose to die. It’s of indefinite duration, which isn’t the same thing at all.
I’m assuming you’d have the choice to end your life, or the option to continue it forever. Of course, if you were stuck living forever, that would suck. Do you agree? Why or why not?
That aside, though… what are your motivations for doing things now?
I assume the lionshare is in my animal-nature programming. I’m evolved to derive some pleasure from the sorts of activities that benefit the replicators I carry.
I’m assuming you’d have the choice to end your life
And, further, you’ve asserted that you would choose to end it when certain conditions arose, which on your view are guaranteed to arise eventually. So your life would be predictably finite.
Of course, if you were stuck living forever, that would suck. Do you agree? Why or why not?
Generally, I prefer to have choices about things. That said, there are situations where I would willingly give up certain choices, including the choice to die. So it would depend on the situation.
But sure, all else being equal, I would rather have the choice to die.
That said, I’d also rather have the choice to live, which the current arrangement is pretty much guaranteed to deprive me of pretty soon.
Because situations might arise in which I preferred death to continued life, and in the absence of that choice I’d be unable to effect that preference. That said, situations might also arise in which I transiently chose to die despite an average preference to continue living, so it depends on what alternatives I have available. I can imagine options superior to my having this choice.
I’d imagine I’d like to live as long as life had the potential for those things, even if they weren’t present at a given moment. My concern isn’t necessarily that they’d run out, rather that they don’t really exist in a world where immortality is an option.
And again, being conscious vs. not being conscious is not a world-ending difference to me. I think consciousness is just a localized emergence from a particalur meat-computer. I enjoy/tolerate a persistent illusion of “self” that can change drastically with injury or illness. It is a fragile little state of affairs and I think it is weird (though very natural) to seek to solidify it in a (literally) permanent state.
Sure. I’m clear on that part, I’m just trying to elicit your preferences on the matter.
Eh?
I don’t really get this.
I can understand how, in principle, immortality means that I might eventually reach a point where nothing is novel, or risky, or challenging, or an obstacle, or joyful.
I don’t understand how the option of immortality means that right now nothing is novel, or risky, or challenging, or an obstacle, or joyful.
But, OK… I guess I can accept that this is the way it is for you, even if I don’t understand it, and therefore you would prefer not to have that option.
There would be some novelty at first. But as soon as you became aware life was of an infinite duration and could understand the implications, what would be the motivation for anything? Every conceiveable 1-in-a-billion occurance would become an eventuality. How does risk even make sense in this world? What is an obstacle or a challenge when infinity is realized as a possiblity? I’d imagine it would feel like a game you already know you are going to win… and that is very boring, in my view.
Enjoyment. It’s possible to enjoy something despite knowing exactly how it’s going to turn out. For example, when you’re about to take a bite of food you like, you know how it’s going to taste, but that doesn’t eliminate your motivation to eat it.
But we’ve already established that life needn’t be of infinite duration. I can end it at any time, that’s implicit in the question of when I would choose to die. It’s of indefinite duration, which isn’t the same thing at all.
That aside, though… what are your motivations for doing things now?
I’m assuming you’d have the choice to end your life, or the option to continue it forever. Of course, if you were stuck living forever, that would suck. Do you agree? Why or why not?
I assume the lionshare is in my animal-nature programming. I’m evolved to derive some pleasure from the sorts of activities that benefit the replicators I carry.
And, further, you’ve asserted that you would choose to end it when certain conditions arose, which on your view are guaranteed to arise eventually. So your life would be predictably finite.
Generally, I prefer to have choices about things. That said, there are situations where I would willingly give up certain choices, including the choice to die. So it would depend on the situation.
But sure, all else being equal, I would rather have the choice to die.
That said, I’d also rather have the choice to live, which the current arrangement is pretty much guaranteed to deprive me of pretty soon.
Why would it be bad to be unable to choose to stop living?
Because situations might arise in which I preferred death to continued life, and in the absence of that choice I’d be unable to effect that preference.
That said, situations might also arise in which I transiently chose to die despite an average preference to continue living, so it depends on what alternatives I have available. I can imagine options superior to my having this choice.
For example, it’s better to die than to be tortured forever.