Arguments
Adjective argument
Consciousness behaves like an adjective, not a noun. It is a property of physical structures, not a separate substance. The argument draws out what follows for personal survival.
The adjective argument is that consciousness and ixperiencitness is like an adjective rather than a noun or object. Two or more objects can be identically red but two objects can not be identical because they do not exist in the same place or are made of the same matter. Red is produced by the object reflecting only certain colors of light, Consciousness and ixperiencitness produced by the functioning of matter, it is not the matter itself. Identically red objects are not always red. It is black if the only light that shines on it is absorbed. The body does not always have the property of being conscious such as when it is dead, frozen, or in a coma same body but not the same consciousness. The body produces speech, heat, movement, vibrations in space they are not objects like the body is. Adjectives are sometimes converted into nouns by applying the ending "ness" so the adjective "red" becomes the noun "redness". The adjective conscious becomes consciousness. But objects when the ness suffix is applied becomes a sort of a meta noun. For instance, "rock" becomes "rockness". Sam becomes "samness". By applying "ness" to an object noun it becomes a property of the object not the object itself.
Imagine the case where we have an original and a cidentireplica. They have the exact same consciousness. This idea has been well established in other arguments. Through the experiment the original and a cidentireplica have the exact same structure and functioning. The body is always exchanging matter when it eats, drinks, and breathes. The bones are not even made of the same matter if you wait long enough. All the matter that is lost in the original replaces the matter that is lost cidentireplica and visa versa. So eventually all the matter that was in the original is now in the cidentireplica and visa versa. The original is now the material object that the cidentireplica was and visa versa. What has happened to the ixperiencitness of each? They still have the identical consciousness. If the matter is actually important, but they do not have the same ixperiencitness, which supporters singular theories say they can not have, the ixperiencitness will have to have switched between the bodies. When and how would be the next issue.
If the ixperiencitness has not changed then matter is not the necessary part of the ixperiencitness continuation process. But if this is not, then what is? It is assumed that some process of matter assimilation is happening: one piece of matter is being programed or changed in some way so that it continues to carry on that little bit of ixperiencitness that it contains or some such process. There is no scientific evidence that there is any such part of matter that can do this. So it is a supernatural idea.
This leads to the conclusion That to maintain singularity you have to have supernatural events happening. It cannot be hidden behind some QM effect happening either because a cidentireplica by definition has the exact QM states as the original. You can argue that there can never be two pieces of matter with the same QM states. This is a version of the "can't make a cidentireplica argument" using QM rather than complexity and current technology as reasons. This is avoidance without understanding. See parallel lines and infinities arguments
Argument for multiplicity of the ixperiencitness concept, Response to the Quote from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy the article "after life", Properties argument for superimmortality, 2=2 argument
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- APA
- Douglas, M. (2026). Adjective argument. You Never Die companion site. Retrieved from https://volney.co/concepts/adjective-argument.html
- MLA
- Douglas, Mark. "Adjective argument." You Never Die companion site, 2026, https://volney.co/concepts/adjective-argument.html.
- Chicago
- Douglas, Mark. "Adjective argument." You Never Die companion site. Last modified 2026. https://volney.co/concepts/adjective-argument.html.

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This page is a focused introduction. The complete argument, with examples, objections, and counter-arguments, is in You Never Die.