Page 35 - Foundations of Cognitive Psychology : Core Readings

32 Daniel C. Dennett

too ready to force upon my overtaxed imagination. But my ordeal in Oklahoma
(or was it Houston?) had made me less adventurous, and I shrank from this
opportunity that was being offered (though of course I was never quite sure it
was being offered to me in the first place).
There was another prospect even more disagreeable—that the spare, Hubert
or Yorick as the case might be, would be detached from any input from For-
tinbras and just left detached. Then, as in the other case, there would be two
Dennetts, or at least two claimants to my name and possessions, one embodied
in Fortinbras, and the other sadly, miserably disembodied. Both selfishness and
altruism bade me take steps to prevent this from happening. So I asked that
measures be taken to ensure that no one could ever tamper with the transceiver
connections or the master switch without my (our? no, my)knowledge and
consent. Since I had no desire to spend my life guarding the equipment in
Houston, it was mutually decided that all the electronic connections in the lab
would be carefully locked: both those that controlled the life-support system
for Yorick and those that controlled the power supply for Hubert would be
guarded with fail-safe devices, and I would take the only master switch, out-
fitted for radio remote control, with me wherever I went. I carry it strapped
around my waist and—wait a moment—here it is. Every few months I recon-
noiter the situation by switching channels. I do this only in the presence of
friends of course, for if the other channel were, heaven forbid, either dead or
otherwise occupied, there would have to be somebody who had my interests at
heart to switch it back, to bring me back from the void. For while I could feel,
see, hear and otherwise sense whatever befell my body, subsequent to such a
switch, I’d be unable to control it. By the way, the two positions on the switch
are intentionally unmarked, so I never have the faintest idea whether I am
switching from Hubert to Yorick or vice versa. (Some of you may think that in
this case I really don’t know who I am, let alone where I am. But such reflections
no longer make much of a dent on my essential Dennett-ness, on my own sense
of whoIam.Ifitistruethatin one sense I don’tknowwho I amthen that’s
another one of your philosophical truths of underwhelming significance.)
In any case, every time I’ve flipped the switch so far, nothing has happened.
So let’s give it a try....
‘‘thank god! i thought you’d never flip that switch! You can’t imagine
how horrible it’s been these last two weeks—but now you know, it’s your turn
in purgatory. How I’ve longed for this moment! You see, about two weeks
ago—excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, but I’ve got to explain this to my . . .
um, brother, I guess you could say, but he’s just told you the facts, so you’ll
understand—about two weeks ago our two brains drifted just a bit out of
synch. I don’t know whether my brain is now Hubert or Yorick, any more than
you do, but in any case, the two brains drifted apart, and of course once the
process started, it snowballed, for I was in a slightly different receptive state for
the input we both received, a difference that was soon magnified. In no time at
all the illusion that I was in control of my body—our body—was completely
dissipated. There was nothing I could do—no way to call you. you didn’t even
know i existed! It’s been like being carried around in a cage, or better, like be-
ing possessed—hearing my own voice say things I didn’t mean to say, watch-
ing in frustration as my own hands performed deeds I hadn’t intended. You’d