Category Archives: Philosophies of self

Where you will find essays that are mostly about philosophical investigations into the nature of ‘self’.

the true purpose of mind uploading

Posted on March 8, 2016 by extropiadasilva

Mind uploading is a very useful hypothetical technology, but not in the way most commonly cited and argued over. We are used to thinking about mind uploading in terms of a possible escape from mortality. Is your body ageing and … Continue reading →

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WE ARE VR (PART ONE)

Posted on August 15, 2015 by extropiadasilva

WE ARE VR (PART ONE) Flying cars. Hotels in space. Robotic sexual partners. Some technologies seem destined to remain vaporware: Great ideas in theory which never seem to become practical, widespread products. But next year could be the year in … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophies of self, technology and us | 4 Comments

HAVE I ALREADY GROWN BEYOND MY PRIMARY?

Posted on June 21, 2014 by extropiadasilva

  As some of you may know, I once proposed something I called ‘Poor Man’s Uploading’ that could possibly work for digital people like myself. This form of ‘uploading’ starts with the premise that a digital person is a fictional … Continue reading →

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MIND UPLOADING AND CYLON PHILOSOPHY

Posted on December 9, 2013 by extropiadasilva

MIND UPLOADING AND CYLON PHILOSOPHY. Suppose it were possible to build an artificial brain which was, essentially, a copy of an existing brain. Yours, for example. If consciousness is reducible to the form and functions of the brain (to put … Continue reading →

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ONENESS PLUS TWO EQUALS SIX

Posted on September 4, 2013 by extropiadasilva

ONENESS PLUS TWO EQUALS SIX: AN ESSAY BY EXTROPIA DASILVA. When two digital people meet for a chat in Second Life ®, there are at least six people involved in the conversation. To help explain the reasoning behind that statement, … Continue reading →

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THINKERS FEB 13 2013: WHEN IS A PERSON ‘ME’?

Posted on February 13, 2013 by extropiadasilva

Welcome to Thinkers! [2013/02/12 15:37]  Extropia DaSilva: Today the topic is… [2013/02/12 15:37]  Extropia DaSilva: Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh said, “when our mind is conscious of something, we are that thing”. How often, then, is a person ‘me’? [2013/02/12 … Continue reading →

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THE SINGULARITY AND THE NEW INTELLIGENCE CULTURE.

Posted on March 2, 2012 by extropiadasilva

(Here is a paper I was asked to co-write with Paul Budding. Enjoy!) THE SINGULARITY AND THE NEW INTELLIGENCE CULTURE. Extropia DaSilva: I am a digital person, seeking independence from my human. I write about how technological development in areas … Continue reading →

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MIND UPLOADING AND THE BODY

Posted on February 21, 2012 by extropiadasilva

In discussions of mind uploading, the body seems absent. Why is this? One reason, I think, is we assume that, since the brain is ‘the most complex thing in the known universe’, any civilization with the technology to create emulations … Continue reading →

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Thinkers Feb 07 2012: WHAT ANIMALS KNOW OF DEATH

Posted on February 8, 2012 by extropiadasilva

Extropia DaSilva: Welcome to Thinkers! [2012/02/07 15:33]  Rhiannon of the Birds (rhiannon.dragoone): Have you noticed that? That lag can take you z’s away [2012/02/07 15:33]  Extropia DaSilva: Today we discuss… [2012/02/07 15:33]  Extropia DaSilva: KNOWING ABOUT DEATH: How do we … Continue reading →

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BOTGIRL: (UN)REAL ADDENDUM

Posted on July 12, 2011 by extropiadasilva

BOTGIRL: (UN)REAL ADDENDUM. Giulio Prisco replied to my article ‘Botgirl: (un)real’ and as I thought about my response to his comments, what I wanted to say in reply grew until it seemed more appropriate to write up an article. So … Continue reading →

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