0023 - In which Lee is a person - 2018.03.12

Comic!

Comment:

Zoa has a very particular understanding of how ownership works. You have to, when you're an owned thing.

Transcript:

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0023 - 2167/07/05/18:16 - Lee Caldavera's apartment, living room
LC: I'm garbage. You called me garbage.
Zoa: If you don't have an owner, then yes. If you don't have an owner, then anyone who wants to could come along and upcycle you. Then they would determine what your purpose is.
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Zoa: If you owned a butter knife, but decided that its purpose was to serve as a screwdriver, it might be shitty at that purpose, but that would be its purpose. It would no longer be a butter knife, it would just be a shitty screwdriver.
Zoa: If you, Lee, were owned by the government or by a religion or by your parents, then your purpose would be whatever they told you it was, regardless of how shitty you are at it.
Zoa: If you have no owner, then anyone can tell you to do anything.
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Zoa: But Lee, I know they don't own you. Because I know you do have an owner.
Zoa: You own yourself, Lee Caldavera!
Zoa: Human beings... you're the only known entities in the universe that are both a thing and the thing that owns that thing.
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Zoa: That's what personhood is! That dual existence... the thing that gets to determine what your purpose in life is is you!
LC: Is that why AIs are "it"s and humans are singular "they"s? I always thought that grammar was weird.
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