Personal Identity

A detailed Summary of Personal Identity

Philosophers have argued about what it is that makes us who we are for a very long time. What is it that sets us apart not only from other species, but also from each other as individuals? There are many ways to approach this issue, which can be first separated into two categories: the Mental and the Physical. The mental approach takes into account such things as emotions and feelings, whereas the physical approach focuses on the role of the body and brain in determining exactly who we are. There are four major theories that attempt to explain what it is that is responsible for our identities. These include the Soul Theory, the Body Theory, the Memory Theory, and the Brain Theory. All four of these theories are relevant in determining the source of our identity, but it can be argued that certain theories are more relevant than others. Personally, I have always supported the scientific argument. That is, I tend to not speculate on ideas that have not or cannot be proven by science in some way. It is because of this that I believe the most important part of our personal identity is our brain.

By stating this I am not implying that the other theories are unimportant, but rather that they account for o

Locke's implication is that it is from these thought patterns from which our personality originates. It is then implied that as one progresses further through time, no one person could ever experience the same thought patterns as another person because there are more thoughts in our brain then we could ever conceive. The statistical chance of any two individuals experiencing identical thought patterns from birth is basically zero. This much I agree with, because it is apparent that no two individuals think exactly alike. However, it is difficult to know where one would draw the line between memory and experience. One could argue that memories are simply more specific accounts of past experiences, which is why memories can fade, distort, or exaggerate reality. I believe that what actually effects our personality is not so much the specific memories that we accumulate, but rather the more general experience that these memories are based from.

The basis of our individuality is perhaps one of the most difficult issues to really explain with certainty. I am certain that when dealing with issues of identity, physical beliefs such as the Brain and Body Theories are the most relevant arguments. I am also quite certain that when dealing with issues of personality, mental beliefs such as the Memory and Soul Theories offer a more distinct explanation. But when dealing with the topic of "Personal Identity," it is actually a combination of all four of these thought processes that really defines who we are as individuals.

The second half of this article attempts to offer positive support for the Body Theory. In this portion of the article, a character by the name of Dr. Nefarious takes on the role of an evil mad scientist who possesses insanely advanced technological devices, allowing him to perform terrible experiments on human subjects. Among these are the Dememorizer and the Rememorizer, tools he will use to manipulate the brain's memories. The question posed here is one that asks if someone were to be forewarned of imminent bodily harm, and then was told that their memory would be manipulated enough before this harm was dealt that they would not remember being told of the harm, would they still feel anxiety? Anyone with any sort of common sense could tell you that yes, they would still be anxious. He then further pursues this by asking that if the same person were told that their memory would be erased and replaced with all the memories of someone else before the harm was inflicted, would they still care?

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1707
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English