it’s not the embryo that will be conscious in ~20 weeks, whereas it is the brain.
I don’t understand this. What specifically is the important difference between embryo (now) and non-embryo (in 20 weeks)? Conciousness? Memories? Physical structure? How is it that they are different things, while brain (now) and brain (future) are the same thing?
What specifically is the important difference between embryo (now) and non-embryo (in 20 weeks)? Conciousness? Memories? Physical structure?
Consciousness. Basically, I want to know if there is a reflective “experiencer” there to care about. If not, I don’t give the thing moral standing.
Your cryonically frozen brain presents an odd situation, because the experiencer is sort of “paused.” But I think it’s still clear that in killing that brain you’re ending somebody’s (conscious) life prematurely.
I like this discussion for its own sake, but I am curious: do you disagree with something I’ve said? Or are we just monkeying with scenarios for the sheer hell of it? (Not that that is in any way a bad thing—they are lots of fun.)
If I understand you correctly, you are arguing that the suspended brain is concious (just “paused”, as you say). So there is some property of a system that we can call “concious” even if it’s asleep, suspended, etc., and that embryos (before 20 weeks or so) lack this property.
If this a fair statement, I don’t have anything more to say. The infants, animals etc. stuff is being covered in the “infanticide” sub-thread on this page.
Mostly we’re monkeying with scenarios for the fun of it. I have somewhat less certainty than you about embryonic stem cell research—I estimate some chance that it is morally problematic.
I don’t understand this. What specifically is the important difference between embryo (now) and non-embryo (in 20 weeks)? Conciousness? Memories? Physical structure? How is it that they are different things, while brain (now) and brain (future) are the same thing?
Consciousness. Basically, I want to know if there is a reflective “experiencer” there to care about. If not, I don’t give the thing moral standing.
Your cryonically frozen brain presents an odd situation, because the experiencer is sort of “paused.” But I think it’s still clear that in killing that brain you’re ending somebody’s (conscious) life prematurely.
I like this discussion for its own sake, but I am curious: do you disagree with something I’ve said? Or are we just monkeying with scenarios for the sheer hell of it? (Not that that is in any way a bad thing—they are lots of fun.)
If I understand you correctly, you are arguing that the suspended brain is concious (just “paused”, as you say). So there is some property of a system that we can call “concious” even if it’s asleep, suspended, etc., and that embryos (before 20 weeks or so) lack this property.
If this a fair statement, I don’t have anything more to say. The infants, animals etc. stuff is being covered in the “infanticide” sub-thread on this page.
Mostly we’re monkeying with scenarios for the fun of it. I have somewhat less certainty than you about embryonic stem cell research—I estimate some chance that it is morally problematic.