Dennett’s “where Am I?”

In Daniel Dennett’s “Where am I?”, his brain is surgically removed from his body and placed in a tank. His brain is still in control of his body though and he starts to question things. With the flip of a switch, the connection between his brain and his body can be severed and he would faint. There are three possibilities of where he could be, either in his brain (Yorick), his body (Hamlet), or wherever his point of view is.

Dennett concludes that his location relies on perception, wherever the point of view of the person is, is where he is. However, when a problem with the radio links occurs, Dennett's body is unable to be brought back from the mission, and now his brain is connected to a different body. Dennett must get used to this new body, however, he never questions whether he is still Dennett. Even when he has two minds, they fall out of sync, proving that the real Dennett is only within his original brain. Dennett argues that the body and soul are separate, and that if we have the same soul, we will still be the same person. After changing bodies completely, he was still the same person with the same memories and emotions. I agree with Dennett's findings that if we have the same soul, and the same memories, we are the same person. I also agree that even though this story is fiction, it would be possible in the future given new technologies.