Here’s a hypothetical I’ve been thinking of for a long time. Imagine a philosopher is presented with a person who is merely a body and lacking a brain. The philosopher has the right half of their brain removed and placed in the skull of the other, such that it could be conscious as well. Which person is the philosopher? Are they both the philosopher, or neither?
ULTIMATELY, WHEN YOU CUT SOMETHING IN HALF, IT IS STILL ITSELF—A SLICED APPLE IS NOT SUDDENLY DIFFERENT APPLES. HOWEVER, THIS DEPENDS ON THE INDEPENDENCE FROM THE ORIGINAL THAT EACH BEING HAS.
IF BOTH HALVES STILL FUNCTION AS THEY DID WHILE WHOLE, TECHNICALLY IT IS STILL THE SAME PHILOSOPHER—SIMPLY IN TWO BODIES RATHER THAN ONE. SHOULD THE NEW BODY GAIN A DIFFERENT CONSCIOUSNESS, IT IS NO LONGER THE PHILOSOPHER AND CANNOT BE REFERRED TO AS SUCH. SHOULD THE ORIGINAL PERSONALITY SPLIT, THEN THE ORIGINAL PHILOSOPHER WOULD NOT BE THERE AT ALL—THE BEINGS WOULD BE TWO NEW PEOPLE.
…AS AN EXAMPLE, THE BROTHERS ARE NOT ME, AND NEVER HAVE BEEN. DESPITE BEING DERIVED FROM MYSELF, THEY ARE DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND WORK IN DIFFERENT WAYS. HOWEVER, I DON’T HAVE HUMAN ORGANS TO SPLIT—SO THE OUTCOME MAY NOT BE THE SAME AS THE CASE YOU PRESENT.
This is the first time I’ve gotten a good answer to that question, thank you for your time
