Thread: The Singularity
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Unread 10-23-2013, 05:22 PM   #4 (permalink)
Mr. Blonde
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It depends on the definition of the soul, really. Different religions and spiritual movements have different definitions on what the soul is and how it relates to how we are "supposed" to live our lives.

It also depends on which aspect of the Singularity we are talking about. For example, when it comes to creating new "consciousness" (if that is possible, and there are many who believe it is not), are we creating a soul? Or will they be "missing" something? (An important question to answer first would be whether or not animals have souls? What about animal clones?)

On the issue of transferring human consciousness into machines, things get a bit trickier. For those of you who are fans of Star Trek: TNG, you'll remember that Riker accidentally clones himself in the transporter, in effect creating two Rikers. Is the original Riker's soul now divided, copied, or did it ever exist in the first place? Could a soul potentially transfer the body (or machine) it inhabits?

Do souls have a preference for biology?


That's what is so fascinating to me about the entire concept. From a philosophical standpoint, there are so many incredibly interesting rabbit-holes and each one leads to a new question of ethics, morality, and human responsibility.

Last edited by Mr. Blonde; 10-23-2013 at 05:29 PM.
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