originally posted in:Secular Sevens
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So, this is an interesting thought. If a human consciousness in its entirety were to be transmitted into some kind of non-human surrogate, would you regard that vessel as human? I guess another related question would be, "How much do our bodies play a role in making us who we are?" Of course, this also requires a definition of human.
Personally, I think the affect of our bodies on our character and values is often underestimated. The body sets one's limitations and shapes how one experiences reality. I believe our mortality and weaknesses are fundamental parts of the human experience. So, I guess I would answer 'no' to this question.
What do you think? Yes? No? It depends?
For clarity, the surrogate could be either biological (like another species of animal) or non-biological (like a robot). However, I am gearing the question toward the non-biological scenario, but if you want to discuss the biological one, that's fine as well.
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Biology isn't really my field, but physically the being would not be considered a human being if the anatomy is completely diverse from that of a normal person. From a philosophical point of view you could argue that they are human if they possess all of the wants, needs, and other behavior traits of a human being. Star Trek The Next Generation did a great job of showing this point with the android named "Data."