Theo Todman's Web Page - Notes Pages

Personal Identity

Thesis - Current Position

(Text as at 12/08/2007 10:17:46)

*** THIS IS NOT THE LATEST VERSION OF THIS NOTE ***

My own current views on the topic of Personal Identity, which are somewhat in tension, are:-

• That Olson is right that we are identical to human animals¹ and that consequently no psychological continuity² is necessary for our persistence³.
• That a human person is a phase sortal⁴ of a human animal.
• Nevertheless, that something critically important of us is lost with the cessation of psychological activity and that our first-person perspective⁵ is in some way vital.
• That if our first-person perspective could “hop” across or vacate⁶ bodies⁷ “we” would have survived. But, that this “hopping” is (nomologically) impossible as our first-person perspective is too tightly coupled to our physical brains⁸.
• That the difference between forward⁹ and backward psychological continuity is key.
• That any view that sees particular persons as logically prior to, and only temporarily constituted¹⁰ by, human animals is incorrect
• Nevertheless, that the “Thinking Animal” / “Too Many Minds” objection¹¹ to the Constitution View is unsound and unnecessary.