> What's yourself without your material possessions and social connections? There is no such thing as yourself without these.

perhaps a being that has the capacity for intention and will?

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zkmon 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Capacity for intention and will were already driven by augmentations that were knowledge and reasoning. Knowledge was sourced externally and reasoning was developed from externally recorded memory of past. Even the instincts get updated by experiences and knowledge.

	▲	zero-st4rs 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I'm not sure if you wrote this with AI, but could you provide examples? Knowledge is shaped by constraints which inform intention, it doesn't "drive it." "I want to fly, I intend to fly, I learn how to achieve this by making a plane." not "I have plane making knowledge therefore I want and intend to fly" However, I totally understand that constraints often create a feedback loop where reasoning is reduced to the limitations which confine it. My Mom has no idea that "her computer" != "windows + hp + etc", and if you were to ask her how to use a computer, she would be intellectually confined to a particular ecosystem. I argue the same is true for capitalism/dominant culture. If you can't "see" the surface of the thing that is shaping your choices, chances are your capacity for "will" is hindered and constrained. Going back to this. > What's yourself without your material possessions and social connections? There is no such thing as yourself without these. I don't think my very ability to make choices comes from owning stuff and knowing people.