" Philosopher John Locke’s memory theory of personal identity suggests that what makes you you is your memory of your experiences. Under Locke’s definition of you, the new Bill Clinton in this latest example is you, despite not containing any part of your physical body, not even your brain.
This suggests a new theory we’ll call The Data Theory, which says that you’re not your physical body at all. Maybe what makes you you is your brain’s data—your memories and your personality."
http://waitbutwhy.com/2014/12/what-makes-you-you.html
Being a know-it-all for a moment, data theory won't work either because - beyond the stored information - everyone's brain is unique in its structure. The same stimulus can be interpreted completely differently even by twin brains. So it's structure + data.
The second half of this gets into some basic questions of personal change that I would love to unwrap with someone.
Also makes me think: is consciousness defined by uniqueness? Like, someone couldn't just come and create it even if they went back in time and had an automaton experience your life. And if someone could, that wouldn't be consciousness.
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