Suppose that you have a person, A, who exists at some time, and a person, B, who existsat some later time. A theory of personal identity is a theory which tries to answer the
question: what does it take for A and B to be the same person?
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Note that this is not a theory which described how we usually recognize and identify
people. For example, I usually recognize you by some combination of your appearance
and where in the room you sit. But of course two of you could, in an elaborate prank,
change seats and have extensive reconstructive surgery which made each of you look much
like the other. But this would not mean that either of you became the other person.
Note that this is not a theory which described how we usually recognize and identify
people. For example, I usually recognize you by some combination of your appearance
and where in the room you sit. But of course two of you could, in an elaborate prank,
change seats and have extensive reconstructive surgery which made each of you look much
like the other. But this would not mean that either of you became the other person.
~
It is surprisingly dicult to come up with a theory of personal identity which is not open
to obvious objections. For example, you might be at rst inclined to suggest that A and
B are the same person if and only if they have the same body. But now consider `body
swapping' examples of the sort you might see in movies. Many people think that this sort
of thing at least makes sense, and so is in one sense possible; but if it is, doesn't that
mean that A and B might be the same person even if they do not share a body?
It is surprisingly dicult to come up with a theory of personal identity which is not open
to obvious objections. For example, you might be at rst inclined to suggest that A and
B are the same person if and only if they have the same body. But now consider `body
swapping' examples of the sort you might see in movies. Many people think that this sort
of thing at least makes sense, and so is in one sense possible; but if it is, doesn't that
mean that A and B might be the same person even if they do not share a body?
~
Furthermore, what does it even mean to have the same body? You're constantly gaining
and losing cells, so that your body now has hardly anything in common with your body
10 years ago. But does this mean that you really are not the same person now as you
were then? Surely not.
Furthermore, what does it even mean to have the same body? You're constantly gaining
and losing cells, so that your body now has hardly anything in common with your body
10 years ago. But does this mean that you really are not the same person now as you
were then? Surely not.
~
A second initial thought is that A and B are the same person if they have the same per-
sonality, or the same consciousness, or the same memory. But, again, there are problems
here. You don't have the same memories, or exactly the same personality, as you had a
year ago; but that doesn't mean that you are not the same person.
A second initial thought is that A and B are the same person if they have the same per-
sonality, or the same consciousness, or the same memory. But, again, there are problems
here. You don't have the same memories, or exactly the same personality, as you had a
year ago; but that doesn't mean that you are not the same person.
~
Suppose that you met someone who, by some strange chance, had personalities and memories more similar to yours now than yours now are to the you of 5 years ago. Would you think that that person was identical to you, or as much the same person as you as the you of 5 years ago?
~
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phil 20229
JeSpeaks
February 14, 2008
phil 20229
JeSpeaks
February 14, 2008
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