Persons and Bodies

[Tree of Life]

Is it possible to interact with another person without interacting with another body?

Is it, then, possible for a person to exist without a body?

God is a person. But God doesn't have nor does he need a body (Jesus Christ aside).

 

[Ana the Ist]

Is it possible to interact with another person without interacting with another body?.

I tried really hard to think of a way to do this...I can't. Care to explain how you interact with someone without interaction between your body and theirs?

Without that it seems the premises that follow don't deserve consideration.

 

[variant]

God is a person. But God doesn't have nor does he need a body (Jesus Christ aside).

Unsupported.

If you are going to ask questions why would you then answer them to your preference?

 

[Ken-1122]

Is it possible to interact with another person without interacting with another body?

Is it, then, possible for a person to exist without a body?

God is a person. But God doesn't have nor does he need a body (Jesus Christ aside).

Right now I am interacting with you and anyone else who reads this reply, yet I am not interacting with your body.

Ken

 

[Tree of Life]

I tried really hard to think of a way to do this...I can't. Care to explain how you interact with someone without interaction between your body and theirs?

Without that it seems the premises that follow don't deserve consideration.

This seems to be an interaction between two persons. Yet our bodies are not interacting with one another at all.

 

[Tree of Life]

Unsupported.

If you are going to ask questions why would you then answer them to your preference?

I'm simply connecting some dots. Depending on how you answer the questions could shed some light on what it's like to interact with a person who is disembodied - like God.

 

[variant]

I'm simply connecting some dots. Depending on how you answer the questions could shed some light on what it's like to interact with a person who is disembodied - like God.

It seems you are just choosing a conclusion.

That's the last dot.

 

[Tree of Life]

It seems you are just choosing a conclusion.

That's the last dot.

I am sharing my conclusion. What do you say?

 

[variant]

This seems to be an interaction between two persons. Yet our bodies are not interacting with one another at all.

Well our bodies aren't directly interacting, but rather we are interacting with the physical representations of abstractions of thoughts that our bodies have.

 

[Tree of Life]

Well our bodies aren't directly interacting, but rather we are interacting with the physical representations of abstractions of thoughts that our bodies have.

Indeed. We are not immediately interacting. Our interaction is mediated by something else - something physical to be sure.

So it's possible to interact with a person without an immediate interaction. It's possible to interact with them without interacting with their body.

 

[variant]

I am sharing my conclusion. What do you say?

I think I am used to interacting with the physical universe using a body, I don't have any experience in interacting with people who don't have one.

The closest thing would be the words of people now dead, but that isn't an interaction so much as a relic of them.

 

[variant]

Indeed. We are not immediately interacting. Our interaction is mediated by something else - something physical to be sure.

So it's possible to interact with a person without an immediate interaction. It's possible to interact with them without interacting with their body.

Well if they don't "have" something we would recognize as a body. We could create a digital/abstract person for instance.

Still seems to require physical architecture though.

So, have I really removed the body or just exported the problem to a different physical architecture?

 

[Tree of Life]

I think I am used to interacting with the physical universe using a body, I don't have any experience in interacting with people who don't have one.

You certainly use a body to interact. But you've also interacted with people without interacting with their bodies. Like what we're doing now and what you're about to mention.

The closest thing would be the words of people now dead, but that isn't an interaction so much as a relic of them.

Well...

It is a relic of them. But it's not so different from words of people now living. Even if you have a phone conversation with someone you could say that you're interacting with a relic of them. As soon as the words leave their lips they become a relic of them.

So reading a dead person's words is, in some ways, just as real of an interaction as reading a personal letter of someone who is still living or having a phone conversation with someone still living.

 

[variant]

You certainly use a body to interact. But you've also interacted with people without interacting with their bodies. Like what we're doing now and what you're about to mention.

Well...

It is a relic of them. But it's not so different from words of people now living. Even if you have a phone conversation with someone you could say that you're interacting with a relic of them. As soon as the words leave their lips they become a relic of them.

So reading a dead person's words is, in some ways, just as real of an interaction as reading a personal letter of someone who is still living or having a phone conversation with someone still living.

Minus the "interaction" aspect.

Interaction would require that I could act and they respond.

 

[Tree of Life]

Well if they don't "have" something we would recognize as a body. We could create a digital/abstract person for instance.

Still seems to require physical architecture though.

So, have I really removed the body or just exported the problem to a different physical architecture?

Any physical medium could be a surrogate body, I suppose. The person is mediated physically through something. You could even say that a face to face interaction with a person is not an immediate interaction with the person, but a mediated interaction through your bodies. Your bodies are mediating the interaction between your persons.

 

[Ana the Ist]

This seems to be an interaction between two persons. Yet our bodies are not interacting with one another at all.

Ummm...what exactly are you using to write your reply then? Magic? All this time I assumed you were a person typing at a keyboard.

I can't think of anything we do without our bodies... interaction included.

This thread is a wash.

 

[variant]

Any physical medium could be a surrogate body, I suppose. The person is mediated physically through something. You could even say that a face to face interaction with a person is not an immediate interaction with the person, but a mediated interaction through your bodies. Your bodies are mediating the interaction between your persons.

At the point where the actual bodies are reacting to the actions of each other we can definitely say they are interacting.

If you abstract the idea more than this you are redefining the term.

 

[Tree of Life]

At the point where the actual bodies are reacting to the actions of each other we can definitely say they are interacting.

If you abstract the idea more than this you are redefining the term.

The bodies are interacting or the persons are interacting?

 

[variant]

The bodies are interacting or the persons are interacting?

What's the difference?

 

[Tree of Life]

Ummm...what exactly are you using to write your reply then? Magic? All this time I assumed you were a person typing at a keyboard.

I can't think of anything we do without our bodies... interaction included.

If you're interacting with my body then what do I look like?

This thread is a wash.

So long!