Identity
When is a thing not itself? Is my deck still mine if it is replaced one board at once; is my body mine if the cells change guard?
The proper solution is to identify a thing with both a state and rules governing its evolution. This is bound to be somewhat arbitrary, and one thing may have many rules and break one but not another ("you're not the man you used to be" -- but still a man). The rules may themselves point to ill-defined constructs, but that's not the argument's fault.
The deck is no longer mine if my rules preclude changing planks (though electrons change at will, and must); my body is still mine because the exchange of cells is part of my rules (besides, if it stops I'm likely dead!)
How do I identify a cell? It functions the same as before, transformed by rules (particularly Newton's). How do I identify an electron? Good question.
The proper solution is to identify a thing with both a state and rules governing its evolution. This is bound to be somewhat arbitrary, and one thing may have many rules and break one but not another ("you're not the man you used to be" -- but still a man). The rules may themselves point to ill-defined constructs, but that's not the argument's fault.
The deck is no longer mine if my rules preclude changing planks (though electrons change at will, and must); my body is still mine because the exchange of cells is part of my rules (besides, if it stops I'm likely dead!)
How do I identify a cell? It functions the same as before, transformed by rules (particularly Newton's). How do I identify an electron? Good question.