Locke/Hume/Michaels

Question 1

Memory is necessary and sufficient for personal identity

Answer 1

Circularity

School example

Question 2

A person is a self-reflective, intelligent being, however far back consciousness extends, personal identity must consist with what makes a person

Answer 2

I don’t think this must necessarily require a different theory, Locke doesn’t give a definitve reason why persons merit their own separate identities, seeming biased

Question 3

Nestor, Prince and Cobbler thought experiments prove substance isn’t important

Answer 3

Subconscious may inform our actions but we don’t remember them
Cut brain in half, put in cobbler twins

Question 4

Forgetting, drunkenness not a problem for Locke, no memory no identity

Answer 4

Brave Officer Paradox

Question 5

Impressions come before ideas

Answer 5

Hume dismissal of blue shade example is unconvincing, however a better way to look at it is the missing shade idea was produced when observing a spectrum of impressions similar to the impression of the missing shade, however this cannot apply to self, what would we compare it too, it would be like a blind man producign

Question 6

Impressions come before ideas

Answer 6

Hume dismissal of blue shade example is unconvincing, however a better way to look at it is the missing shade idea was produced when observing a spectrum of impressions similar to the impression of the missing shade, however this cannot apply to self, what would we compare it too, it would be like a blind man producing the idea of colour

Question 7

Theatre analogy, represents succeeding impressions and ideas

Answer 7

Doesn’t add anything to idea or clarify idea

Suggests the notion of a place, singlular place is problematic as it suggests identity

Question 8

Causation and Resemblance are necessary for the illusion of personal identity
Memory is faculty in which these relations can be observed

Answer 8

Pool example demonstrates smooth transition from one of the qualities (causation) this is not as potent when considering ideas
- Passing exam
- Postcard
Not so smooth to confuse us into identity
If a priori mechanism was in place this would make sense, to not imply this Hume needs more clarification

Question 9

Doesn’t cover what we don’t remember

Answer 9

good point

Question 10

Agnostic

Answer 10

Who is actually concerned with self identity

Recurring through text, it seems Hume may be slightly presuming there is in fact an identity already

Question 11

Memory erasure

Answer 11

• Great ramifications for responsibility for Locke, will criminals be alleviated of responsibility in heaven. In a perfect judicial system, problematic
• Hume not as much, although we won’t be able to observe the connections but we won’t lose our identity if we do have one