Chapter 04 of 5
The Teletransporter Paradox
A deep dive into Parfit’s experiment on digital replication and destruction.
- The Premise
A Trip to Mars
Imagine a machine that scans your atoms, destroys your body on Earth, and reconstructs you on Mars. The version on Mars has all your memories and personality.
- Philosophical Origin
Parfit's Challenge
Philosopher Derek Parfit used this thought experiment in 1984 to test if physical continuity is required for survival. Is 'being you' about the matter or the data?
- The Mechanism
Atomic Destruction
In the 'Simple Teleportation' model, the scanning process is destructive. You must be vaporized to ensure only one version of 'you' exists at a time.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
According to the 'Patternist' view of the Teletransporter Paradox, what defines your identity?
⛵ The Ship of Theseus: The Paradox of Identity
- 01The Docks of AthensExamine the foundational paradox of gradual replacement and persistence.
- 02The Scavenger's DilemmaHobbes introduces a second ship built from the discarded original planks.
- 03The Biological ShipApply the paradox to the human body and the constant cycle of cellular death.
- 04The Teletransporter ParadoxA deep dive into Parfit’s experiment on digital replication and destruction.
- 05The Narrative EgoSynthesizing the paradox into theories of psychological and legal identity.