Admittedly few are likely to read this comment, the post being so old. Also, I must apologize that marginal values seem to suggest that I not read all the other comments for something like this point, having read the first few. That said, a few thoughts.
While I’m not sure if I agree with Albert or not, I don’t believe the GAZP applies wholly to this topic. It’s actually somewhat summarized with the amusing line “I don’t think therefore I’m not”. Or rather, “I’m not, therefore I don’t think”. Nobody ever has (reliable) evidence that they don’t exist. I can never know, based on direct experience, that I haven’t just died and somehow been replaced with “another identical person”, and am not now the person I was moments ago. Identity is complicated and I don’t find this likely to happen, but the point still stands. It’s not that there is no subjective evidence of the switch, but that the entity who had the experience no longer exists. One may still have intuitions regarding experiences they won’t notice, or rather, experiences that will remove any further noticing of anything ever, the simplest cases being traditional death. You just can’t use your past memories of existing as evidence for what might cause that.
I can never know, based on direct experience, that I haven’t just died and somehow been replaced with “another identical person”, and am not now the person I was moments ago.
Not to be crass (at this point, good Bayesians should bear in mind Cromwell’s rule; it’s still logically possible that what follows won’t be something crass), but there is eating and pooping.
Admittedly few are likely to read this comment, the post being so old. Also, I must apologize that marginal values seem to suggest that I not read all the other comments for something like this point, having read the first few. That said, a few thoughts.
While I’m not sure if I agree with Albert or not, I don’t believe the GAZP applies wholly to this topic. It’s actually somewhat summarized with the amusing line “I don’t think therefore I’m not”. Or rather, “I’m not, therefore I don’t think”. Nobody ever has (reliable) evidence that they don’t exist. I can never know, based on direct experience, that I haven’t just died and somehow been replaced with “another identical person”, and am not now the person I was moments ago. Identity is complicated and I don’t find this likely to happen, but the point still stands. It’s not that there is no subjective evidence of the switch, but that the entity who had the experience no longer exists. One may still have intuitions regarding experiences they won’t notice, or rather, experiences that will remove any further noticing of anything ever, the simplest cases being traditional death. You just can’t use your past memories of existing as evidence for what might cause that.
Not to be crass (at this point, good Bayesians should bear in mind Cromwell’s rule; it’s still logically possible that what follows won’t be something crass), but there is eating and pooping.