Is There an Enduring Self? Chapter 2 ~ 2.4. Introduction Are you the same person as you were when you were born? Are you the same person as you were when.

Is There an Enduring Is There an Enduring Self?Self?

Chapter 2 ~ 2.4Chapter 2 ~ 2.4

IntroductionIntroduction

Are you the same person as you Are you the same person as you were when you were born?were when you were born?

The same person as yesterday?The same person as yesterday? Adolescents often feel the need to Adolescents often feel the need to

“find themselves”. This also “find themselves”. This also applies to adults of varying ages.applies to adults of varying ages.

Traditional WesternTraditional Western viewview

assumes that assumes that you are the same you are the same person today as you were earlier person today as you were earlier in your lifein your life; it assumes that ; it assumes that humans are selves that endure humans are selves that endure through timethrough time. .

ExceptionsExceptions

But we also sometimes say that a But we also sometimes say that a person has changed over time; if, for person has changed over time; if, for example, the personality changed as example, the personality changed as a result of brain damage, or a result of brain damage, or Alzheimer’s disease.Alzheimer’s disease.

Marriage: people divorce citing that Marriage: people divorce citing that they aren’t the same person as when they aren’t the same person as when they married.they married.

The “Personal Identity The “Personal Identity Problem”Problem”

Philosophers try to account for the fact Philosophers try to account for the fact that people do change by trying to that people do change by trying to answer the question: answer the question:

In what sense am I the same person I In what sense am I the same person I was when I was bornwas when I was born? ?

oror What makes a person be the same What makes a person be the same

person from one moment to the nextperson from one moment to the next??

Answer to Identity ProblemAnswer to Identity Problem

What keeps us the same is the What keeps us the same is the “continuity of the “continuity of the bodybody”. ”.

From day to day, the body remains the From day to day, the body remains the same, even if things change slightly.same, even if things change slightly. Example, at a crime scene a criminal leaves Example, at a crime scene a criminal leaves

his/her fingerprints, DNA, etc. 10 years his/her fingerprints, DNA, etc. 10 years later, the criminal is the same person.later, the criminal is the same person.

CriticsCritics

Someone who has brain Someone who has brain damage would still be damage would still be the same person by this the same person by this definition.definition.

If it’s the body that If it’s the body that keeps us the same keeps us the same person, what about person, what about people who believe in people who believe in the afterlife. The the afterlife. The afterlife could not exist.afterlife could not exist.

CriticsCritics

In thought experiments where a In thought experiments where a mind is put in a new body, we mind is put in a new body, we say the body is now the person say the body is now the person whose mind was transferred, not whose mind was transferred, not the person whose body was the person whose body was used. used.

Therefore, bodily continuity does Therefore, bodily continuity does NOT make the person the same NOT make the person the same over time.over time.

ConclusionsConclusions

Based on such considerations, Based on such considerations, some philosophers conclude that some philosophers conclude that what remains the same is an what remains the same is an immaterial “soul” or “mind”immaterial “soul” or “mind”

The Soul as an Enduring The Soul as an Enduring SelfSelf

The Traditional Western view The Traditional Western view holds that in each living holds that in each living human body is a soul; this is human body is a soul; this is what makes “me”. what makes “me”.

Descartes held this view, Descartes held this view, holding that it was the holding that it was the continuity of his thinking continuity of his thinking mindmind that made him remain that made him remain the same person. the same person.

But, how do we know that a But, how do we know that a person’s mind continues to person’s mind continues to be the same over time?be the same over time?

CriticsCritics

Some object that we can know that a Some object that we can know that a person remains the same person person remains the same person from one day to another without from one day to another without being able to being able to see his/her soul. see his/her soul.

Memory as the Source of Memory as the Source of the Enduring Selfthe Enduring Self

John Locke held that Descartes John Locke held that Descartes was mistakenwas mistaken

Locke’s thought experiment: if Locke’s thought experiment: if one soul migrated to another one soul migrated to another body and lost the memories body and lost the memories that it formally had, we would that it formally had, we would not say the person whose soul it not say the person whose soul it was continued to exist. was continued to exist.

From this, Locke concludes that From this, Locke concludes that what makes a person endure what makes a person endure over time is over time is memorymemory. .

Examples Examples

Someone who has amnesia and Someone who has amnesia and forgets who they were in the past forgets who they were in the past begins a new life. They are no longer begins a new life. They are no longer the same person.the same person.

Police accuse a man of robbing a Police accuse a man of robbing a bank. The man honestly does not bank. The man honestly does not remember. Most people would agree remember. Most people would agree he should not be responsible.he should not be responsible.

Memory as the Source of Memory as the Source of the Enduring Selfthe Enduring Self

But in response to this view, But in response to this view, Thomas Reid argued that Thomas Reid argued that Locke produced Locke produced contradictions. contradictions. For example, Tom at age 20 For example, Tom at age 20

remembers being Tom at age 10, remembers being Tom at age 10, and so is the same person, Tom at and so is the same person, Tom at age 30 remembers being Tom at age 30 remembers being Tom at age 20, but not being Tom at age age 20, but not being Tom at age 10. Thus, Tom at age 30 is both the 10. Thus, Tom at age 30 is both the same person as the person who was same person as the person who was Tom at age 10, and is not the same Tom at age 10, and is not the same person who was Tom at age 10! person who was Tom at age 10!

Also, what if Also, what if someone cannot someone cannot remember remember everything that everything that he/she did? he/she did?

What did I say at What did I say at

the beginning of this the beginning of this presentation? presentation?

The EndThe End

Read Read The No-Self ViewThe No-Self View Answer questions #6, 7 Answer questions #6, 7

The No-Self ViewThe No-Self View

Some views of human nature deny the Some views of human nature deny the existence of a self. existence of a self.

Central to Buddhist thought is the idea that Central to Buddhist thought is the idea that all things are composite and transient, and so all things are composite and transient, and so nothing abides permanently as an individual. nothing abides permanently as an individual.

The self, like everything else, is in a constant The self, like everything else, is in a constant state of flux and disintegration; it is transient. state of flux and disintegration; it is transient. As a permanent entity, then, the self does not As a permanent entity, then, the self does not exist.exist.

The No-Self ViewThe No-Self View

David Hume had a very similar view. He David Hume had a very similar view. He held that we cannot claim that there is an held that we cannot claim that there is an inner self because all we experience is a inner self because all we experience is a constant stream of sensations, and no constant stream of sensations, and no determinate self. determinate self.

These views do have problems, for it is not These views do have problems, for it is not clear why we should be concerned with clear why we should be concerned with our future interests if they are correct.our future interests if they are correct.