Knowledge and Reality Flashcards
What are the two types of identity searched for in personal identity?
Diachronic identity, or persistence, and synchronic identity, such as multiple personality disorder, who an individual really is
What is person essentialism?
Whatever a person is at one time, they are always that at whatever time they exist
Who rejects both psychological and bodily identity?
Anticriterialism - not enough evidence from either to show persistence
Why does the memory criterion beg the question?
Given that memories are only genuine you really are the person remembering them, then evidently memories show nothing
How is the problem of memory criterion fixed?
Use of psychological continuous, rather than connected, with only some of your mental states required
What is the fission problem for the psychological view?
When brain halves are split, they work differently so they is no one united mind
What is the solution to the fission problem?
Multiple-occupancy view (Robinson) that both halves are seen as separate in any case, or say that fission is death of individual and birth of two new ones (given special relationship when two halves are together)
What is the physical criterion’s view of the brain?
If enough of the brain remains, persistence is present
How does Williams break the psychological continuity idea?
If uploaded to a computer and then to another brain, it may be the same person but casual link would be broken
What is Williams’ reduplication argument?
If one person believed they were another, already existent individual, then the psychological identity supporter would have to say the two individuals are the same when there really only is one
What is the response to Williams’ computer objection?
The only x and y principle - the facts of x and y, rather than the casual link, show what they are
How is the reduplication view fixed?
Only in the absence of a rival candidate - clause added to criterion
Why does Locke support the personal identity?
It makes sense for why we care for ourselves more than others, and allows for resurrection or immortality
What does Locke believe in terms of ontology?
3 things - persons (finite intelligences), God and men (bodies)
What term does Locke use for the start of psychological connectedness?
Same ‘beginnings of existence’ for x and y to be the same
What example does Locke give for his theory?
An oak tree changing in bodily extension but staying the same tree
Who counts as a person for Locke?
Rational, thinking things including parrots
Who does not count as a person for Locke?
The sleeping or drunk, those not aware of themselves or beside themselves in madness
How does Locke punish the drunk man?
The law may punish him as we cannot be sure he was unaware of his actions, but if he was unaware then it would not be him (for God?), no consciousness there
Why is the mind, or consciousness, believed to be a good differentiator of individuals in terms of extended space?
Whilst the brain may have the same configuration of atoms, there would be different thoughts and memories held by the person - we own and input our own thoughts
Why does Williams reject the bodily account?
Use of physical description is not a clear identifier, such as ‘he was embarrassed and went red’ is for both mind and body, rather than person itself
How does Williams address the cobbler and prince problem?
The voice of the cobbler may be different to that of the prince, so the words of the prince would not be clear - body is an identifying factor therefore, we cannot distinguish what from what
Why is memory problematic for Williams?
Identifying anything requires memory, so memory is insufficient to prove the psychological theory
Why does Olson not believe in thoughts as key?
If your head was emptied, you would still have the same particular basic mental capabilities, and in this vegetative state no new animal has been created - therefore problem with psychological principle