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Introduction on personal identity
Introduction on personal identity
Personal identity and Self Identity
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In the third night of John Perry’s “A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality,” Weirob
uses several arguments to support her theory that persons are identical with their living bodies. In the first
and second nights, Weirob and her friends discuss personal identities’ relationship with soul, memory and
mind. Then, they talk about issues raised in the book “Who is Julia?” in the third night. This leads to a
heated discussion between Cohen and Weirob about a hypothetical brain transplant. Weirob utilizes
philosophical reasoning to argue that the healthy body (Mary Frances’) is more significant to identity then
the brain that is transplanted (Julie’s brain). Therefore, her arguments about brain transplant and survival
succeed.
Weirob’s
most significant arguments proving her theory of body and identity are about brain rejuvenation and the uncertainty of having right memories. Firstly, she refutes Cohen’s arguments about a court ruling because it is not a convention. Instead, it can be considered an objective fact. Then she uses brain rejuvenation as a strong supporting argument which proves that Dr. Mathews can make more than one duplicate of the brains but none of the new persons would be considered the original. This underlines the importance of body in survival more than brain. Weirob proves that the preservation of memory and brain are not enough for personal identity. At first, Cohen’s arguments regarding memory and psychological identity seem very reasonable because brain is the center of our thoughts and memories. Weirob’s example with Gretchen-A and Gretchen-B presents a logical explanation to the importance of body because brain rejuvenation allows two different bodies to have identical brains. This makes the brain insignificant to personal identity. This leads to the conclusion that even if Weirob’s brain were to be transplanted to another body, she would be still considered dead because her body is dead. Weirob made it clear with her arguments that the body is essential to one’s identity and one’s survival.
At the beginning of her argument, Satel claims that the current transplant list systems are ineffective, and are causing a shortage of organs availability, thereby allowing countless patients to suffer. At first, she makes an invali...
Through the discussion of terms such as supercrip and home, alongside discussion of labels that he chooses to accept or leave behind, Clare is able to analyze the way that he looks as his identities. Clare’s autobiography uses words and language as a tool to show that a person’s identities aren’t simply labels, but are ways to understand oneself, unite, and even find a place to
In the following essay, I will develop my thoughts by talking about how Weirob challenges her long life friend Miller to comfort her on her death bed for three nights, about the slight possibility of her soul surviving after death. This is based on the author John Perrys’ ideas. I will also be discussing the two personal criterions that we discussed in class that I believe fit best to the passage.
Personal immortality seems to be a paradox that many people address and distinguish in different ways. Through outlets such as religion, science, or personal belief this topic is often argued and habitually facilitates strong arguments. Weirob and Miller explicitly explain their dualist/physicalist outlooks on personal immortality as they have a conversation at the hospital where Weirob slowly succumbs to her injuries received in a motorcycle accident. As Weirob patiently awaits death, Miller explains how due to Weirobs realist view on life he will not try to “comfort [her] with the prospect of life after death” (Perry, pg. 65). Due to Weirobs state of unavoidable demise she asks Miller to entertain her with the argument for life after death,
Identity is primarily described primarily as what makes a person who they are. While it is seen as an individual asset, one’s identity can be shaped and persuaded not only by life experiences, but by society as well. Bryan Stevenson speaks on several controversial issues and proclaims certain societal problems and the typical behaviors noticed in response to them. How one approaches the issues that are spoken about may expose their true identity. Stevenson argues that how one reacts to racial inequality within the criminal justice system may regulate their identity. In addition to that, how dealing with the nation’s history may force a growth on one’s identity, eventually bringing peace and acceptance to the nation. Lastly, how one views the
One’s identity is the most important lesson to be learned. It is vital part of life knowing who you are in order to live a fulfilled life. Without knowing your identity, and the way you perceive life, it is difficult for others to understand you, along with a struggle to live a happy life. In Sylvia Plath’s “The Bell Jar,” Esther Greenwood struggles to find her own identity, and in the process, she develops a mental illness which helps her discover the person she is on the inside.
What is personal identity? This question has been asked and debated by philosophers for centuries. The problem of personal identity is determining what conditions and qualities are necessary and sufficient for a person to exist as the same being at one time as another. Some think personal identity is physical, taking a materialistic perspective believing that bodily continuity or physicality is what makes a person a person with the view that even mental things are caused by some kind of physical occurrence. Others take a more idealist approach with the belief that mental continuity is the sole factor in establishing personal identity holding that physical things are just reflections of the mind. One more perspective on personal identity and the one I will attempt to explain and defend in this paper is that personal identity requires both physical and psychological continuity; my argument is as follows:
This paper will deliberate John Locke’s and René Descartes views on “self” and personal identity. Each of these philosophers describes their views on consciousness, self, and personal identity. Similarities and differences will be discussed and examples provided to address the study of mind and body, physical and non-physical. Following the description of personal identity written in this paper on the views offered by Locke and Descartes I will conclude with a personal view on which of these two philosopher’s theories I prefer.
She could have saved eight lives the day she died. Actually, it was her wish to do just that. However, she did not inform her mother of this decision when she renewed her driver’s license. When the doctors determined her to be brain dead, her mother knew nothing about organ donation or her daughter’s wishes, and therefore, declined donation.
Monday’s reading (the first chapter of the book by Jonathan Haidt), explores a number of the themes we’ve been discussing thus far regarding personal identity, such as consciousness, the nature of mind, split brain research, etc.
Because Baby Teresa was an anenceplaliac, she would have died within a few days, so in attempt to donate her organs to others was a good cause. Since the transplant can benefit others without harming Baby Teresa, and because she cannot feel any pain, we ought to take her organs for the sake of others. However, others might argue that what if her organs did not end up being used to benefit others, then we would have taken an innocent person's life. Because organ donors are in such high demand, it is unlikely that all of Baby Teresa's organs would not go to any recipients. Knowing that Baby Teresa cannot live long, and for the purpose of saving others, donating her organs to others is a good cause for the reason that it can save other's lives. The Benefits Argument presented in this paper, states powerful reasons for the transplant of the organs.
Whereas, Hughes depicts a speaker that struggles with personal identity issues because he hasn’t developed a sense of self-perception and, as a result, lacks the capability to define himself as a person. The character of Dave in Wright’s story struggles with the concept of personal identity because he wants to alter the way others perceive him by going on a quest to prove his manliness and earn the right to be respected. However, Dave’s attempt to alter their perceptions of him ultimately destroys their impressions of him since he failed to own up to his actions like a real man would in order to gain the respect that he sought. The speaker of Hughes’ poem struggles with the concept of personal identity because he lacks the capability to define himself since he hasn’t had the opportunity to reflect and discover his inner self in order to gain a sense of self-perception. Most of the time personal identity issues occur in real life but they also take place in works of literature as well since these stories portray characters or speakers in different scenarios that struggle with the concept of personal identity. There are numerous reasons of how these two stories portray characters or speakers that struggle with the concept of personal identity but this is only one example of the ways they
There are many complicated ideas held about the relationship between existence, or personal identity, and the body. One of these proposed explanations is the body theory. The body theory, in simple terms, states that a person’s identity is directly connected to their physical body. Therefore, if a person is in the same body, they are the same person. This includes many modifications to the body, depending on the breadth of allowance one is willing to give. While the body is technically constantly changing, the body theory makes exceptions for the process of aging, the movement of atoms and molecules, and the like. There are, however, limitations to what is considered the same person. These involve more complicated topics, such as reanimation
Summary of John Locke’s view on personal identity The concept of personal identity is a central philosophical component to a debate to which many theorists have contributed their theories to. One of the most prominent theories on personal identities was by John Locke, one of the influential theorist in the 17th century. Locke first begins by making an important distinction between the nature of identity as being relative, rather than absolute.
To begin my argument I will define my concept of the human soul and the physical body which is akin to that of Descartes. Descartes made the distinction that the mind and the body are two separate things. The mind being a thinking non-extended thing and the body being a non-thinking extended thing. In which he concludes that the mind can exist without the body (Skirry). The words, mind, and soul in this case are interchangeable and demonstrate two distinct parts that make up an individual person.