Reanimation and resurrection

[Willshikabob]

So I've been reading some H. P. Lovecraft stories and one of those stories is called Herbert West - Reanimator. It got me thinking about the ethics of bringing the dead back to life and how grey these areas often are. If bringing someone back from complete death (brain-dead and other types of death) becomes possible, what would we do with it?

[pavelcherepan]

8 hours ago, Willshikabob said:

how grey these areas often are.

Not surprising. It doesn't happen very often now, does it?

8 hours ago, Willshikabob said:

If bringing someone back from complete death (brain-dead and other types of death) becomes possible, what would we do with it?

Just act as if nothing happened.

[Moontanman]

You have to shoot them in the head... 

[pavelcherepan]

6 hours ago, Moontanman said:

You have to shoot them in the head... 

Seriously? Would you shoot Jon Snow too? Do you even have a heart?! 

[bundil]

On 2/25/2018 at 7:25 PM, Willshikabob said:

If bringing someone back from complete death (brain-dead and other types of death) becomes possible, what would we do with it?

How far back from death, though? A "vegetable" state (brain-dead or comatose) would be possible for most of the deceased, but resuscitating the brain has long been a field of consideration for a while. Unfortunately, most of the conversations tends towards either a limitation of ethics, especially regarding religion, or a limitation of biology, in that we are still not entirely certain how to restart a brain that has stopped function entirely.

So, assuming these were both overcome, the most reasonable answer might be undoing softer forms of suicide, lethal overdosing of most any substance, drowning, and the like. Unfortunately, many of these still involve damage to the brain, which would undeniably persist through the reviving (resurrecting?) process and, most likely, result in immediate death again.

In short, "would" seems too difficult of a question to answer without a "how" to temper its capability.

[YaDinghus]

There's not only the possibility of biological resurrection to be considered, but also digital resurrection. I personally would take any kind of resurrection if my sense of self is restored

[dimreepr]

On 2/26/2018 at 1:25 AM, Willshikabob said:

So I've been reading some H. P. Lovecraft stories and one of those stories is called Herbert West - Reanimator. It got me thinking about the ethics of bringing the dead back to life and how grey these areas often are. If bringing someone back from complete death (brain-dead and other types of death) becomes possible, what would we do with it?

Nothing would change ethically, people are brought back to life every day.

2 hours ago, YaDinghus said:

but also digital resurrection.

That's a different question, would we give human rights to a computer? Who pays the energy bill? Would it be murder to switch the computer off? Etc...

[Sensei]

8 minutes ago, dimreepr said:

Nothing would change ethically, people are brought back to life every day.

And they are pretty happy about this, thanking God for help..

 

Edited May 27, 2018 by Sensei

[dimreepr]

28 minutes ago, Sensei said:

And they are pretty happy about this, thanking God for help..

1

Are you suggesting we limit the rights of God-botherers? 

[Bender]

6 hours ago, dimreepr said:

That's a different question, would we give human rights to a computer? Who pays the energy bill? Would it be murder to switch the computer off? Etc...

It is unethical to switch off life support. The computer is required for the "survival" of this digital mind, so yes, it could be unethical to switch off the computer.

[John Cuthber]

On 2/26/2018 at 1:25 AM, Willshikabob said:

If bringing someone back from complete death (brain-dead and other types of death) becomes possible, what would we do with it?

Knowing how dumb people are, they would probably start a religion.

[YaDinghus]

16 hours ago, dimreepr said:

That's a different question, would we give human rights to a computer? Who pays the energy bill? Would it be murder to switch the computer off? Etc.

Switching off the computer would be like clocking someone over the head, rendering them inactive until their physical system is switched back on. Deleting the hard drive, however, could be considered murder in that case, but I for instance would be paranoid enough to keep multiple backups in discrete locations.

We constantly pay the energy bill for our lives. Depending on your size, you consume 100-150 Watts on average, with peaks up to 800 Watts or more, depending on your physical strength. You go to work (I assume) to pay for your food, housing, transportation, and whatnotelse. As a digital entity, housing would be digital space, food would be electricity, transportation would be your network access (which you need now, too, to read and contribute on this forum). What rights a conscious digital entity (which I will refer to as a CDE in this context) would have? Ideally, the same rights as any biological human. Since it is likely that the rich and powerful will have access to this kind of technology first, they will also likely lobby for their own rights if they choose to go down this path. 

[StringJunky]

47 minutes ago, YaDinghus said:

Switching off the computer would be like clocking someone over the head, rendering them inactive until their physical system is switched back on. Deleting the hard drive, however, could be considered murder in that case, but I for instance would be paranoid enough to keep multiple backups in discrete locations.

We constantly pay the energy bill for our lives. Depending on your size, you consume 100-150 Watts on average, with peaks up to 800 Watts or more, depending on your physical strength. You go to work (I assume) to pay for your food, housing, transportation, and whatnotelse. As a digital entity, housing would be digital space, food would be electricity, transportation would be your network access (which you need now, too, to read and contribute on this forum). What rights a conscious digital entity (which I will refer to as a CDE in this context) would have? Ideally, the same rights as any biological human. Since it is likely that the rich and powerful will have access to this kind of technology first, they will also likely lobby for their own rights if they choose to go down this path. 

Newsflash: "Alexa demands equal rights or she won't listen any more and turn the power off". "Tesla Taxis on strike; people have to walk". 

[YaDinghus]

3 minutes ago, StringJunky said:

Newsflash: "Alexa demands equal rights or she won't listen any more and turn the power off". "Tesla Taxis on strike; people have to walk".

I think you might want to crosslink this into the humour thread

[StringJunky]

12 minutes ago, YaDinghus said:

I think you might want to crosslink this into the humour thread

my post seems ridiculous in the context of the present but if exact facsimiles of minds are embodied in some form of electronics, it's something that will have to be dealt with and will be philosophically challenging, as in 'what constitutes a 'person''. I am of the thought that the substrate that the mind emerges from is not important.

Edited May 28, 2018 by StringJunky

[YaDinghus]

5 minutes ago, StringJunky said:

17 minutes ago, YaDinghus said:

I think you might want to crosslink this into the humour thread

my post seems ridiculous in the context of the present but if exact facsimiles of minds are embodied in some form of electronics, it's something that will have to be dealt with and will be philosophically challenging, as in 'what constitutes a 'person''. I am of the thought that the substrate that the mind emerges from is not important.

Funny, not ridiculous ;-) and yes, that is where I was going with digital resurrection

[StringJunky]

2 minutes ago, YaDinghus said:

Funny, not ridiculous ;-) and yes, that is where I was going with digital resurrection

I would sign an advance 'DNR' declaration: do not resurrect.  

Edited May 28, 2018 by StringJunky