>this lets you finesse the question of "what do you mean 'control'"
I'd say that this is one of the most difficult things about it, so as long as we're not answering this question, I agree it's not that hard (though I agree that the article didn't take these thoughts all the way).
For example, the tongue-parasite mentioned in the article: I am not sure exactly how that parasite works, but if it responds exactly how you would expect a tongue to respond, is it then under your immediate control (If it doesn't, imagine a parasite that does, even to the point of transmitting tastes)?
The fact that it does everything that your tongue does and something extra (stealing nutrition), is that what would make it not part of you? If so, what about artificial limbs that do everything the missing limb does but in addition does something else, possibly beyond my control (periodic internal maintenance, for instance)? I would say it should be regarded as part of my 'self', even though I cannot control all aspects of its behaviour.
I wouldn't say the tongue-parasite is under the fish's control, but rather that the parasite is "deciding" to emulate a tongue for its own purposes. IIRC it will eventually take off and leave the fish to starve.
I feel it's worth noting that there are a lot of functions of our bodies that we don't explicitly control. When describing them, we tend to use "other" language to describe them to the extent we don't control them, e.g. "my body did this" vs "I did this". Artificial limbs will fit into that framework just fine.
I'd say that this is one of the most difficult things about it, so as long as we're not answering this question, I agree it's not that hard (though I agree that the article didn't take these thoughts all the way).
For example, the tongue-parasite mentioned in the article: I am not sure exactly how that parasite works, but if it responds exactly how you would expect a tongue to respond, is it then under your immediate control (If it doesn't, imagine a parasite that does, even to the point of transmitting tastes)?
The fact that it does everything that your tongue does and something extra (stealing nutrition), is that what would make it not part of you? If so, what about artificial limbs that do everything the missing limb does but in addition does something else, possibly beyond my control (periodic internal maintenance, for instance)? I would say it should be regarded as part of my 'self', even though I cannot control all aspects of its behaviour.