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Analysis Of The Book ' The Ego Trick ' Essay

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The purpose of The Ego Trick was to find the “pearl of self” the place where the self resides. However, as Julian Baggini further progressed he discovered that there is no pearl of self, there is no single place where the self resides. Once this realization was discovered he then proceeded to argue that instead of a single place where the self resides there is actually multiple places. This is called the bundle theory. During this book report I will present his three arguments for the bundle theory and what he calls the Ego Trick, I will also present why the self is not an illusion. I will then discuss my thoughts on what was true and what was false. I will then conclude with the most important ideas presented in Julian’s book The Ego Trick. Julian’s first argument that he presents is that the unity of self is psychological. He begins this argument by introducing John Locke’s definition of a person as a “thinking intelligent being that has reflection and can consider itself as itself, the same thinking thing in different times and places.” Through this definition we can deduce that there is no immaterial soul. The continuity of some non-physical part cannot ensure the continuity of the person. Through Locke’s definition, it gives rise to the possibility that there are other things that can be considered persons rather than just humans. As long as these things are intelligent things that can reflect and consider itself as itself then they are capable of

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