9. Metaphysics 3: Identity

Question 1

Identity

Answer 1

is when something has relation to itself

Question 2

Do humans place a higher value on numerical identity or qualitative identity?

Answer 2

Numerical Identity.

The question “am i the same person as “x” amount of years ago?” isn’t asking whether we have similar self-identity but the same numerically identity self-identity.

Question 3

There is a strong relationship between identity and…

Answer 3

survival

Question 4

Splitting…

Answer 4

disrupts identity
(think of identical twins)

Question 5

3 theories regarding identity

Answer 5

1. Soul Theory (rationalist): follow the soul and you follow the person! I survive provided my Platonic/Cartesian soul survives.
2. Body Theory: follow the living body and you follow the person! I survive provided my Living Body, my (Aristotelian soul/psyche/anima ) Life survives.
3. Mind Theory: follow the mind and you follow the person! I survive provided my mental states

Question 6

Problems for the soul theory (3)

Answer 6

1. Soul Theorists are ALWAYS body-smugglers!
2. Biblical Challenges: “Every knee would bow and every tongue confess?” – Why are we smuggling the body in?
3. How do Twins get their ‘souls’? – because apparently the human being has a soul at conception, and when they split…where does that soul go? Because the twins are now two new numerical distinct persons/being than the first egg and sperm. Explain.

Question 7

John Locke’s Answer to “what gives self-identity?”

Answer 7

Memory is the ‘Self’ and justifies our belief in self-identity. Provided we can string together discrete memories, self-identity endures. (Objection: but there are gaps everywhere!)

Question 8

David Hume’s Answer to
“what gives self-identity?”

Answer 8

Nothing! Both ‘Self’ and ‘Identity’ are illusions! Persons don’t have self-identity! Our ‘sense’ of self is not sufficient for REAL self-identity.

Question 9

Marya Schechtman’s Answer to “what gives self-identity?”

Answer 9

Self-understanding across time constitutes self-identity. Mere conscious memory is not sufficient for a conception of ‘Self’

Self-identity consists of memories (conscious and unconscious), coherently generating a trajectory from past into the future

Question 10

Dan Dennett’s Answer to
“what gives self-identity?”

Answer 10

A continuous (uninterrupted) narrative is sufficient for a sense of SELF.

Question 11

How do we distinguish between self and the rest of the world? (Dan Dennet) (4)

Answer 11

1.Bodies are by nature selfish
2. naturally discriminatory,
3. hold an internal logic of ‘me against the world
4. border crossings are considered with disgust.

Question 12

You are what you control and…

Answer 12

what you care for

Question 13

What is ‘xxxx-identity’ for Dennett?

Answer 13

the language we speak to ourselves and others.

Question 14

Self is the product of narrative, not…

Answer 14

the source of narrative.

(We don’t control our narrative; we rather find ourselves in the narrative.)

Question 15

Life lesson from Dan Dennet and his theory of narrative?

Answer 15

we have wiggle room, so exercise what little control that you have right now to move that utter.