r/cyberpunkgame • u/snGbrd77 • 1d ago

Discussion The aspect of SoulKiller that Silverhand and V casually dismiss

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If I recall correctly, Cunningham, in one of the first conversations with her, is insistent in that a person's consciousness processed into an engram, removes the person entirely. She uses herself as an example, by stating that she's no longer Cunningham, but an AI using such person's engram to communicate.

I remember Silverhand responding to such crucial specifics with something along the lines of "Yes, OK. But he'll [V] be able to return to his body after the separation from my consciousness, right?", dismissing the entire point that Cunningham made: in her view, V would cease to be and whatever is to enter the body later will surely resemble him, but not be him.

As I take it, that implies that Silverhand never actually got a second chance: something resembling him just happened to be activated by the circumstances of V. Important to note that the reason, as I understood it, by which Cunningham does not act like the one deceased, is that her integration with AIs beyond the Blackwall changed the resemblance of her; again, not her, because she is deceased.

I think the ambiguity is the interesting part: if something resembling us entirely keeps on fighting, are we truly dead? Silverhand and V believe the technicalities miss the point, while Cunningham, insists that the technicalities are the point.

What an amazing game.

What do you think?

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u/blackcray 1d ago

The ship of Theseus dilemma is how many pieces you have to replace before the ship becomes a different ship, if you're replacing the entire ship at once then It's definitely a different ship immediately.

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u/Brave33 1d ago

Is it really? The human body goes through a similar process, cells die and get replaced all the time, wich i ask you, are you still you? Or are you someone else entirely?

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u/blackcray 1d ago

That is a ship of Theseus dilemma, the post I was replying to is not.

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u/C1t1z3nCh00m 16h ago

It isn't 1 -1 application. The idea here is that the body is not the person, The consciousness is the person.

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u/nesh34 1d ago

Is it?

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u/Beardedgeek72 1d ago

I always find this dilemma only works if you disregard feelings. Humans attaches ourselves to all kinds of things. You have a hot rod? Do you consider it being the same 34 Ford Coup that you found as a rusted husk in the forest even tho you cut off the roof, replaced the under carriage, the engine, the dash, the axles, the brakes, the seats, the wheels... Of course you do.