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Personal Identity

Convention

(Text as at 06/07/2023 00:43:12)

Plug Note¹

• Thesis Text:
  1. Can it ever be right to say that whether a thing persists² or not – or even exists³ or not – is merely a matter of convention?
  2. Because of the existence of a First Person Perspective⁴, it seems difficult to imagine in the case of Persons⁵, but it may be true of artifacts⁶.
  3. Issues arise with Thought Experiments⁷ that stretch the boundaries of our Concepts⁸, so that it might be argued that it is arbitrary whether an individual survives the vicissitude described – maybe inadequately – in the TE.
  4. But, it might be argued, individuals falling under a Natural Kind⁹ concept persist or fail to do so irrespective of our language and our concepts.
  5. However, if personhood is an honorific, rather than a natural kind, concept then whether an individual persists as a person might indeed be conventional – depending on our concept person¹⁰.
  6. But whether an individual persists as an animal¹¹ is not a matter of convention, though it might be subject to epistemological vagueness¹².

References

• Relevant Works cited above: No items to list.
• For a Page of Links¹³ to this Note, Click here. Far too many to process.
• Works on this topic that I’ve actually read¹⁴ include the following (often rather tangential) references:-
  • Aeon:
    1. "Cohn-Gordon (Reuben) - Cathedrals of convention", 2024, External Link
  • General:
    1. "Baillie (James) - What Am I?", 1993, Write-Up Note¹⁵, Footnote₁₆
    2. "Dennett (Daniel) - Conditions of Personhood", 1997, Write-Up Note¹⁷, Annotations
    3. "Hirsch (Eli) - A Sense of Unity", 1982
    4. "MacKay (Donald) - Computer Software and Life After Death", 1997
    5. "Olson (Eric) - Relativism and Persistence", 1997, Annotations, Internal PDF Link
    6. "Olson (Eric) - What Are We?", 2007, Write-Up Note¹⁸, Annotations, Internal PDF Link, Footnote₁₉
    7. "Sider (Ted) - Critical Study of Michael Jubien's Ontology, Modality, and the Fallacy of Reference", 1999, Annotations, External Link, Internal PDF Link
    8. "Sider (Ted) - Four-Dimensionalism: Introduction", 2003, Annotations
    9. "Unger (Peter) - Physically Based Subjects and Their Experiences: Against the Six Metaphysical Doctrines", 1992
    10. "Unger (Peter) - Precis of 'Identity, Consciousness and Value'", 1992, Internal PDF Link
    11. "Unger (Peter) - What Matters In Our Survival: Distinctions, Compromises and Limits", 1992
    12. "Van Inwagen (Peter) - Material Beings: Preface", 1990, Annotations
    13. "Van Inwagen (Peter) - Précis of Material Beings", 1993, Annotations, Internal PDF Link
    14. "Wiggins (David) - Preface: Sameness and Substance", 1980, Annotations
    15. "Williams (Bernard) - The Self and the Future", 1999, Write-Up Note²⁰, Annotations, Internal PDF Link
    16. "Wittgenstein (Ludwig) - Bodily Sensations", 1933, 1965, Write-Up Note²¹
• A further reading list might start with:-
  • General:
    1. "Bird (Alexander) & Tobin (Emma) - Natural Kinds", 2008-17, External Link, Internal PDF Link, Read = 50%
    2. "Braddon-Mitchell (David) & Miller (Kristie) - How To Be A Conventional Person", 2004, Internal PDF Link, Read = 60%
    3. "Davidson (Donald) - Communication and Convention", 2001
    4. "Elder (Crawford) - Conventionalism: Epistemology Made Easy, Ontology Made Paradoxical", 2004, Internal PDF Link
    5. "Hawthorne (John) - Plenitude, Convention, and Ontology", 2006
    6. "Heller (Mark) - Conventional Objects", 1990
    7. "Lewis (David) - Convention", 2002, Book, Read = 2%
    8. "Miller (Kristie) - 'Personal identity' minus the persons", 2013, Internal PDF Link, Read = 6%
    9. "Petkov (Vesselin) - Simultaneity, Conventionality and Existence", 1989, Internal PDF Link
    10. "Putnam (Hilary) - Convention: a Theme in Philosophy", 1996, No Abstract, Internal PDF Link
    11. "Sidelle (Alan) - How to be a Modern-Day Conventionalist", 1989, No Abstract
    12. "Sidelle (Alan) - Is it Possible to be a Modern-Day Conventionalist? Or, Responding to Some Technical Worries", 1989, No Abstract
    13. "Sidelle (Alan) - Realism and Conventionalism", 1989, No Abstract
    14. "Sidelle (Alan) - The Case for Conventionalism and the Problem with Real Necessity", 1989, No Abstract
    15. "Taliaferro (Charles) - Pollock's Body-Switching", 1986, Internal PDF Link

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• For a list of Works that have been considered, but have missed the cut for inclusion in this Section of my Thesis, see the following:-
  1. Read: No items to list.
  2. Further Reading: No items to list.
• This is mostly a place-holder²².

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In-Page Footnotes:

Footnote 16:

• This paper – inter alia – confirms my “take” on the Cheshire Cat’s smile.
• See Draft Note, Review Comments.

Footnote 19:

• See Draft Note.
• Review Comments:–
  → First Half,
  → Second Half.

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Table of the Previous 8 Versions of this Note:

Date	Length	Title
20/09/2022 11:24:00	3549	Convention
02/05/2022 23:44:10	3168	Convention
09/02/2021 21:59:02	3012	Convention
17/09/2020 23:45:36	2115	Convention
07/02/2018 09:57:36	2871	Convention
18/12/2010 19:58:05	382	Convention
26/11/2007 23:25:26	370	Convention
12/08/2007 10:17:46	80	Convention

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Note last updated	Reading List for this Topic	Parent Topic
06/07/2023 00:43:12	Convention	Semantics

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Summary of Notes Referenced by This Note

Animals	Artifacts	Awaiting Attention (Personal Identity)	Baillie - What Am I?	Concepts
Daniel Dennett – Conditions of Personhood	Existence	First-Person Perspective	Jen_080204 (Brandom, Chisholm, Baillie)	Jen_080218 (Olson)
Jen_080303 (Olson, Baillie)	Natural Kinds	Note Links Explanation	Olson - What Are We?	Persistence
Person	Plug Note Apologia	Thought Experiments	Vagueness	Williams - The Self and the Future
Wittgenstein - Bodily Sensations	Works Read - Explanation

To access information, click on one of the links in the table above.

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Summary of Notes Citing This Note

Androids	Artifacts	Baker - Materialism with a Human Face	Closest Continuer	PID Note, Book & Paper Usage, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Psychological Continuity - Forward	Ship of Theseus	Thesis - Chapter 04 (Basic Metaphysical Issues), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7	Thesis - Chapter 07 (The Constitution View and Arguments for It)	Thesis - Current Stance
Website Generator Documentation - Functors, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

To access information, click on one of the links in the table above.

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Authors, Books & Papers Citing this Note

Author	Title	Medium	Extra Links	Read?
Ayers (Michael R.)	Locke on Living Things	Paper		Yes
Baker (Lynne Rudder)	Materialism with a Human Face	Paper		Yes
Demopoulos (William) & Friedman (Michael)	Bertrand Russell's The Analysis of Matter: Its Historical Context and Contemporary Interest	Paper
Heller (Mark)	Conventional Objects	Paper	2
Lewis (David)	N/A	Author
Todman (Theo)	Thesis - Androids	Paper		Yes
Todman (Theo)	Thesis - Artifacts	Paper		Yes
Todman (Theo)	Thesis - Chapter 04 (Basic Metaphysical Issues)	Paper	2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7	Yes
Todman (Theo)	Thesis - Chapter 07 (The Constitution View and Arguments for It)	Paper		Yes
Todman (Theo)	Thesis - Closest Continuer	Paper		Yes
Todman (Theo)	Thesis - Current Position	Paper		Yes
Todman (Theo)	Thesis - Psychological Continuity - Forward	Paper		Yes
Todman (Theo)	Thesis - Ship of Theseus	Paper		Yes
Van Inwagen (Peter)	Materialism and the Psychological-continuity Account of Personal Identity	Paper		Yes

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References & Reading List

Author	Title	Medium	Source	Read?
Bird (Alexander) & Tobin (Emma)	Natural Kinds	Paper - Cited	Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy, 2008-17	50%
Braddon-Mitchell (David) & Miller (Kristie)	How To Be A Conventional Person	Paper - By Subtopic	Monist, Oct2004, Vol. 87 Issue 4, p457-474, 18p;	60%
Carruthers (Peter) & Boucher (Jill)	Language and Thought	Book - By Subtopic (via Paper By Subtopic)	Carruthers (Peter) & Boucher (Jill) - Language and Thought	No
Cohn-Gordon (Reuben)	Cathedrals of convention	Paper - Cited	Aeon, 04 March 2024	Yes
Dennett (Daniel)	Brainstorms - Philosophical Essays on Mind and Psychology	Book - Cited (via Paper Cited)	Bibliographical details to be supplied	43%
Dennett (Daniel)	Conditions of Personhood	Paper - Cited	Dennett - Brainstorms - Philosophical Essays on Mind and Psychology, Chapter 14, 1976	Yes
Hains (Brigid) & Hains (Paul)	Aeon: Follow-up Boxes	Book - Cited (via Paper Cited)	Bibliographical details to be supplied	75%
Hawthorne (John)	Plenitude, Convention, and Ontology	Paper - By Subtopic	Hawthorne - Metaphysical Essays, pp. 53-69 (2006)	No
Heller (Mark)	Conventional Objects	Paper - By Subtopic	Heller - The Ontology of Physical Objects, Chapter 2, pp. 30-67	No
Heller (Mark)	The Ontology of Physical Objects: Four-Dimensional Hunks of Matter	Book - By Subtopic (via Paper By Subtopic)	Heller (Mark) - The Ontology of Physical Objects: Four-Dimensional Hunks of Matter	4%
Hirsch (Eli)	A Sense of Unity	Paper - Cited	Hirsch - The Concept of Identity, 1982, Chapter 8	Yes
Hirsch (Eli)	The Concept of Identity	Book - Cited (via Paper Cited)	Bibliographical details to be supplied	Yes
Laurence (Stephen)	Convention-based semantics and the development of language	Paper - By Subtopic	Carruthers & Boucher - Language and Thought, 1998	No
Lewis (David)	Convention	Book - Cited	Lewis (David) - Convention	2%
Lewis (David)	Convention	Paper - By Subtopic	Lewis (David) - Convention	4%
Miller (Kristie)	'Personal identity' minus the persons	Paper - By Subtopic	Philosophical Studies: Vol. 166, Supplement 1 (December 2013), pp. S91-S109	6%
Nolan (Daniel)	David Lewis	Book - By Subtopic (via Paper By Subtopic)	Nolan (Daniel) - David Lewis	2%
Nolan (Daniel)	Language, Use and Convention	Paper - By Subtopic	Nolan - David Lewis	No
Popper (Karl)	Falsificationism Versus Conventionalism	Paper - By Subtopic	Popper & Miller - A Pocket Popper	No
Popper (Karl) & Miller (David), Ed.	A Pocket Popper	Book - By Subtopic (via Paper By Subtopic)	Popper (Karl) & Miller (David), Ed. - A Pocket Popper	No
Putnam (Hilary)	Convention: a Theme in Philosophy	Paper - By Subtopic	Putnam - Philosophical Papers 3 - Realism and Reason	No
Putnam (Hilary)	Memo on 'Conventionalism'	Paper - By Subtopic	Putnam - Philosophical Papers 1 - Mathematics, Matter and Method	No
Putnam (Hilary)	Philosophical Papers 1 - Mathematics, Matter and Method	Book - By Subtopic (via Paper By Subtopic)	Putnam (Hilary) - Philosophical Papers 1 - Mathematics, Matter and Method	1%
Putnam (Hilary)	Philosophical Papers 3 - Realism and Reason	Book - By Subtopic (via Paper By Subtopic)	Putnam (Hilary) - Philosophical Papers 3 - Realism and Reason	No
Sidelle (Alan)	How to be a Modern-Day Conventionalist	Paper - By Subtopic	Sidelle (Alan ) - Necessity, Essence, and Individuation, 1989, Chapter 2	No
Sidelle (Alan)	Is it Possible to be a Modern-Day Conventionalist? Or, Responding to Some Technical Worries	Paper - By Subtopic	Sidelle (Alan ) - Necessity, Essence, and Individuation, 1989, Chapter 3	No
Sidelle (Alan)	Necessity, Essence, and Individuation	Book - By Subtopic (via Paper By Subtopic)	Sidelle (Alan) - Necessity, Essence, and Individuation	No
Sidelle (Alan)	Realism and Conventionalism	Paper - By Subtopic	Sidelle (Alan ) - Necessity, Essence, and Individuation, 1989, Chapter 1	No
Sidelle (Alan)	The Case for Conventionalism and the Problem with Real Necessity	Paper - By Subtopic	Sidelle (Alan ) - Necessity, Essence, and Individuation, 1989, Chapter 4	No
Sider (Ted)	Critical Study of Michael Jubien's Ontology, Modality, and the Fallacy of Reference	Paper - Cited	Nous, 33.2 (June 1999), pp. 284-294	Yes
Sider (Ted)	Four-dimensionalism: An Ontology of Persistence and Time	Book - Cited (via Paper Cited)	Bibliographical details to be supplied	12%
Sider (Ted)	Four-Dimensionalism: Introduction	Paper - Cited	Sider - Four-dimensionalism, Introduction	Yes
Taliaferro (Charles)	Pollock's Body-Switching	Paper - By Subtopic	Philosophical Quarterly, 1986, Vol. 36 Issue 142, p57-61, 5p;	No
Todman (Theo)	Thesis - Convention	Paper - By Subtopic		Yes
Unger (Peter)	Identity, Consciousness and Value	Book - Cited (via Paper Cited)	Bibliographical details to be supplied	Yes
Unger (Peter)	Physically Based Subjects and Their Experiences: Against the Six Metaphysical Doctrines	Paper - Cited	Unger - Identity, Consciousness and Value, Chapter 6	Yes
Unger (Peter)	Precis of 'Identity, Consciousness and Value'	Paper - Cited	Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Vol. 52, No. 1, Mar., 1992, pp. 133-137	Yes

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Text Colour Conventions

1. Blue: Text by me; © Theo Todman, 2024

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