Personal Identity : The Vehicle Of Consciousness

In this paper, I will argue that the Memory Theory of Personal Identity is the closest to the truth. I will do so by showing that the opposing theories – Body and Soul Theories – have evident flaws and that the

Personal identity is a very controversial aspect of life. Who are we? What defines us? According to John Locke, psychological continuity is what defines our personal identity. Locke discusses the case of the prince and the cobbler to help shape his theory. However, I absolutely disagree with Locke’s theory. Locke’s theory of personal identity creates many problems, such as the duplication problem. By reformulating Locke’s theory of personal identity, we still come across these problems that prove Locke’s theory false.

The concept of personal identity or personhood is a very complex area of philosophy that challenges our most basic understandings of mind and matter. Philosophers have generally settled into either the school of mind, or consciousness, and the school of body. As our ability to study the mind grows, through developments in psychology and neurology, consciousness-based theories have come to dominate the discussion of personal identity and body-based theories appear simplistic and even primitive. Thesis: Catriona Mackenzie, however, compels the field to make a renewed examination of the body by pointing out that the body is the very apparatus by which the self interacts with world, thereby shaping all of the experiences which constitute memory and consciousness.

As you go throughout life, it is not very common to stop and question your own personal identity, because you are just you, there does not seem like that much to it. But, in the philosophical world, this topic is one of the most popular things to look into and try to understand. Surprisingly, the idea of personal identity is not as simple as it seems. Many philosophers seem to question if personal identity even exists, and if they do believe it exists, how exactly? In the most popular philosophical arguments, there are three theories of personal identity that stick out; psychological approach, ego theory, and bundle theory. These three theories discuss how personal identity can be identified, or if it even exists at all. There is no way to be one hundred percent positive that one of these theories is true, so there will be always be a mystery to personal identity. Even though we can never be sure, it is always interesting to look into each theory and discuss the possibilities to our own personal identity.

The question “What are we?” in an ontological sense is currently inconclusive and open for debate. Nevertheless, identifying a description of what we are not shall help uncover what we are. We are not a psychological continuity account of personal identity over time. Under this context, “psychological continuity” is defined as continuous mental states over time. For example, characteristics of one’s mind such as sentience, memory, and other mental faculties, must remain an uninterrupted continuum over time to be considered psychologically continuous. Additionally, under this context, the term “person” will hereafter refer to beings that have mental properties. Under philosophical context, the term “identity” is generally defined as its

Consciousness is the heart of free will and intent, it is responsible for the ability of a person to choose. With that said, it is my belief that defining personal identity relies on both bodily and mental continuity.

Identity is defined as the qualities that distinguish one from someone else. Thus, self- identity is how one characterizes themselves as an individual. This may at first seem easy to conclude. One might say I am me because I look in the mirror and recognize myself. Or, I am me because I possess a mind and memories unique to me that cannot be replicated by another in the same perspective. However, the body and the mind undergo constant change throughout life, so how can they be attributed to one’s “sameness”? I have arrived at the problem of self-identity, what makes one person the same over time? I assert that in addition to the presence of unique physical and mental substance, in each person is a constant factor that cannot be altered. I shall show that the problem of self-identity is solved with both the existence of a soul as well as psychological makeup; X is the same as Y so long as X possesses the same soul, body and consciousness as Y.

In the philosophical branch of personal identity there exist several approaches to the question what is it for the same person to exist over time. It is important to stress that we are referring to numerical identity here, i.e. the identity of a person over a period of time. What is it on the basis of which we say that a person on time point 1 is same as that on time point 2?

Imagine yourself being in an isolated island without anyone else around you or any type of communication to the world. How would you know how other people are or think about themselves, but most importantly how would you identify yourself as person if there is no one else to compare yourself to? There are many islands and forests that are isolated from society and those communities that live there do not really have the resources to know how others are or how they can personally identify themselves. However, that’s not my case. It’s interesting how I never took the time to get to know the person that I really am and what makes me the way I am. While researching I found that there are four things that identify me as a person: my faith, culture,

My aim in this essay is to analyze in this order the ideas of personal identity, human nature, and reality. The following essays and films will be analyzed: "Divided Minds and the Nature of Persons", "The Selfish Cooperator", "Does the Real World Exist", Transfer, I Am and The Signal. In Derek Parfit 's "Divided Minds and the Nature of Persons", we learn that personal identity is ever changing, whereas in Richard Dawkin 's essay "The Selfish Cooperator" we are taught that human nature is circumstantial, and finally John Searle argues in "Does the Real World Exist" that reality exists and can be independent of us.

What is a personal identity, and how does one go by gaining one? This is a question that has been asked and debated for centuries by many philosophers who at one time in their life asked themselves, who am I? Personal identity is the personal “qualities, beliefs, etc., that make a particular person different from others (Merriam-Webster)”. Many people think personal identity comes from a specific pivotal moment in your life where others, feel that you receive personal identity at conception. Yet some believe that you get it based off of the life experiences that you have. It is true to an extant that you have an identity at birth, although you gain more of a semi-permanent identity in time after you have learned through

Andrei Tarkovsky’s film, Solaris, brings into discussion whether or not the recreation of Hari is a real person. I will argue through analysis of Derek Parfits’ and John Locke’s perspectives on personhood how although Hari is made of neutrinos, that she is in-fact a person, although not the same person as the former Hari that Kelvin knew.

“Discovering and claiming our unique identity is a process of growth, change, renewal, and regeneration throughout our lifetime.” (51) Determining whom we are as a person sounds like an easy thing to do, doesn’t it? But it’s easier said than done. There are multiple factors that play a role on who we are as a person. Some if these factors include the way we were raised, sex, our roots, the people we surround us with, where we were born, etc. Although we can somewhat control what factors molds us into we are, something that is uncontrollable is the perception others have of us. The authors talk about the micro level. This is the level were, “Individuals usually feel the most comfortable as themselves. At this level we define ourselves and structure

However, other theories come into play and reject the psychological approach to explaining personal identity and it’s persistence over time; claims that continuity of the brain and memory are not enough to explain and confirm personal identity are made. These theories include the biological approach, the dualist theory, and the materialist approach from Shoemaker, which involves the memory theory. Through the review of these theories respectively, a clearer understanding of personal identity can be developed and argued for. Following this, we can begin to see how cases of multiples personalities or identities can be argued to exist as well.

What determinate who we are? That might sound like a easy question, but when we start to reflect about it, we eventually realize how difficult it is to attribute our character to one single factor. In order to understand who we are, we must comprehend the human being as a web, nothing is disconnected, everything influence every action you take.