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Philosophy, Metaphysics And Personal Identity

Philosophy : Metaphysics

One of the most enduring debates in metaphysics is with regard what it takes to be a person.

Or more specifically, what it takes to be the same person over a period of time. If you were born in 1950 and are still alive, then 'you' are now 56. And you are the same person as you always were, else who else would you be, and in what sense could we say you were still alive?

The very question of how old you are pre-supposes that you are the same person at time t+56 as you were at time t.

But can we be sure we are the same people, how relevant is this, and is it a valid analysis? Clearly it is very convenient to think we are the same person else things would get very confusing. So don't share your thoughts on personal identity with a government minister looking into identity cards.

Nevertheless, there seem some real and interesting questions about personal identity which as usual is teased out through thought experiments.

Is it physical continuity that constitutes identity over time? Well, it seems not. If you lose an arm or leg or get facially disfigured in an accident, we don't suppose that you cease to exist. You are the same person, but with a different appearance.

And similarly with mental continuity. If you suffer amnesia and can't remember important facts about yourself, perhaps even who you are, we still label you as the same person. And if you combine the two above, then it seems that you are still the same person.

But then again, if these aren't what constitute identity, what else is there? But we know there can't be two of the same person as in the famous transporter thought experiment where the original version of you isn't deleted - so how do we explain this and what do we say?

What do you think constitutes personal identity and if we could clone ourselves or transport would that challenge our current concepts...


By: Fred

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