Happy Halloween Ben.
Thank you.
So I have an issue
with your stance on abortion.
OK.
So you defined life as starting
at conception
through biology.
Right.
Pretty much. But I think you take
the stance that life is
intrinsically valuable
because it's life
and that's where I disagree.
I think there's two things that make
life valuable.
I think consciousness the ability to
experience pain senses
and stuff like that and personal
identity
in particular psychological
continuity
identity. So the fact that we have
memories
we have relationship to both
relationships to
us.
Do you mean both of those or either
or? I just want to clarify
your position.
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00:00:38,193 --> 00:00:38,192
Either or.
Okay So it's either
or then people
with Alzheimer's have real
continuity problems you can't
kill them.
No because people still have
relationships
with them. Right. So I just want.
I mean you have a relationship
with them but
with people the advanced age
Alzheimer's they really
don't have relationships.
Ok, but for the sake of example like
let's say someone dies
right.
The family gets to decide what you
do
with the body because I know you say
when
you say someone says oh it's
consciousness
and then they're brain dead you say
well can you stop
them. No you can't because that's
the family's decision what to do
with the body It's
a person's decision what they want.
So if the family decides to stab
them it's okay to stab the
person?
when they're brain dead?
Yeah they want to.
No not not not brain dead.
Let's say that you're comatose for a
for
a specifically
and predictably
short period of time say nine
months.
What is the birth person.
So.
I would say on the legal grounds
would depend if the person put it in
the will if the person
has made clear statements like " Hey
don't
pull the plug on nine months" then
don't do
that because I think the first
choice is right.
Let's say the person has not made
such clear statements in person
can't make such clear statements.
So that he's just in a complete
coma?
Let's say the person has not drawn
up living will
or have had conversations like this,
they are in a car crash
I know that nine months they're
going to come out of the coma
and they're going to be fine.
Are you allowed to stab
and wait for these nine months to
stab
the dude.
They're going to get their memories
back?
Let's say they don't get the
memories back.
I would say that that person is dead
and if the family wants to pull the
plug that's fine.
I'd have no problem
with that. Yeah I would have no
problem with that.
Because I don't like that like
that person and again.
You're getting into some dicey
territory dude.
I think that person is dead.
Right. And that's the best way to
define life his personal identity
and consciousness.
That's what makes life so valuable.
So I think that again if you were to
say both
that's too much
and if you would even say either I
don't think either one
of those like stands on its own
because what you really mean that
this is a thing
about having a baby.
It's a process of development
and this is the point that I'm
making.
There's a period in this
human life when that child does not
have or fetus
or embryo whatever you call it when
this
living thing does not have
consciousness
and does not have a sense of
identity
but in nine months it will
have consciousness.
babies don't have a sense of
identity for
at least certain number
of months after they're born
The babies can recognize their
parents
as voices after they're borh.
That's not a sense of identity.
Rats can do that.
What I say it is because they know
it's
a form of memory though.
Are you a Jainist?
Because animals also have a
conscience.
Yes. I would say that killing
animals is wrong.
You have no problem with that.
So just to get the straight.
Killing Fluffy the hamster.
Deeply wrong.
Killing a dude who wakes up from
a coma, who is going to wake up from
a coma in
nine months
with memory problems.
Totally cool.
OK.
I mean that's fine. You can have
that position I'm just not gonna
put you in charge of the NHS.
