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The Problem of Personal Identity

The Problem of Personal Identity. The Ship of Theseus Plutarch. What is a person?. Person – (a) a being that has both self-awareness and the capacity for abstract/rational thought. (b) a being possessing full moral status. [normally (b) depends on (a). The Person Vs. The Organism.

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The Problem of Personal Identity

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  1. The Problem of Personal Identity The Ship of Theseus Plutarch

  2. What is a person? Person – (a) a being that has both self-awareness and the capacity for abstract/rational thought. (b) a being possessing full moral status. [normally (b) depends on (a)

  3. The Person Vs. The Organism An Organism-based approach to identity = I am the same person as long as I am the same biological organism A Person-based approach to identity = I am the same person as long as I have the same self-awareness

  4. The Case of Terry Schiavo

  5. Do We persist through time? I am the same person as I was and will be, because I’m made out of the same “stuff” I am the same person as I was and will be because I’m continuous with that person The Self as Substance Body Identity Soul Identity The Self as Continuity Bodily Continuity Psychological Continuity

  6. Soul theory • I am the same individual as long as I have the same soul Cogito (Cartesian Ego) – The idea that every individual is a permanent, unchanging, essential core self; a self that persists through their entire existence.

  7. Mind/body Dualism • Our bodies and minds are separate things (substances); so they can exist apart from each other. • Substance – a “thing” which exists independently from other things (e.g. a horse, a cat, a human). It has properties, but is not a property of another thing • Property – a quality that a substance has (e.g. red, round, cold) Substance: Socrates Balding head Grey Hair

  8. The measurable soul argument • P1: If substance dualism (Soul Theory) is false, then my mind cannot exist independently from my body • *P2: My mind can exist independently from my body • ---------------------------------------------------------------- • C: So, Substance dualism is true • *P2 can be supported if we have some scientifically measurable evidence of a non-physical soul

  9. Objections to Soul Theory No proof that there are souls Causal interaction problem (Princess Elizabeth’s Objection)

  10. Physicalism The mind is the brain itself and nothing more. In other words, mind = brain

  11. Argument for Physicalism Neuroscience has shown a strong link between what happens to and in our brains and what happens to and in our minds. Appealing to OCKHAM’S RAZOR, it is probably best to assume that the mind simply is the brain.

  12. Body Identity • I am one individual because I have the numerically same body trough time • Qualitative Identity – two or more items have the same observable qualities; e.g. ‘they have the same haircut.’ • Numerical Identity – these two things are, in fact, exactly the same thing

  13. Objections to Body Identity • Higher Brain death (PVS)? • The parts of body change

  14. Bodily Continuity • I am one individual because the body I have now is continuous with the body I started with

  15. Body Continuity 2.0 = Brain Continuity As long as there is a living brain continuous with a past living brain, there is still a living person.

  16. The Freaky Friday Case: Psychological Continuity theory John Locke: “The Prince and the Cobbler.” Psychological Continuity – As long as there is some continuity of some of my present mental states with my past mental states I am the same person.

  17. Memory Theory I am the same individual as long as I can remember at least something from my past stages Officer General Child

  18. Objections to Memory Theory Officer General Child

  19. Objections to Memory theory summed up • Amnesia • False Memories • Butler’s objection: I am not who I was because I remember being that person; rather, I remember being that person because I was that person

  20. The “All Mental States” View Derek Parfit (1942-2017) • It’s not my memory that makes me, but my entire mind. • Someone is me at an earlier or later time if there is an unbroken, overlapping chain of connections between mental states that links the two of us.

  21. Divided Brains –Derek Parfit

  22. But what if there is no such thing as me?

  23. David Hume: Bundle theory 1711-1776 Whenever I examine my thoughts I don’t find some permanent and enduring “me.” I just find a loosely held together bundle of thoughts, memories, feelings, etc.

  24. Common ViewBuddhist View What does Bundle Theory Mean? Subject/Perceiver Perceptions -- Thoughts -- Feelings Perceptions -- Thoughts -- Feelings • Ego/Self view • Bundle View Subject/self/ perceiver Perceptions --- thoughts ---- feelings Perceptions --- thoughts --- feelings

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