The Problem of Personal Identity

Do We persist through time? The Self as Substance Body Identity Soul Identity The Self as Continuity Bodily Continuity Memory Theory I am the same person as I was and will be, because I’m made out of the same “stuff” I am the same person as I was and will be because I’m continuous with that person

Soul theory I am the same individual as long as I have the same soul Cogito (Cartesian Ego) – The idea that every individual has a permanent, unchanging, essential core self that persists through their entire existence.

Objections to Soul Theory No proof that there are souls Causal interaction problem

Body Identity I am one individual because I have numerically the same body through time “Sameness” is used in two senses: 1) Qualitative Sameness (e.g. Vanessa and April have “the same” haircut) 2) Numerical Sameness “(e.g. Peter parker is the “same person” as Spiderman)

Objections to Body Identity Higher Brain death (PVS)? The parts of body change

Bodily Continuity I am one individual because the body I have now is continuous with the body I started with

John Locke 1632-1704 Objection to Bodily Continuity: The Case of the Prince and the Cobbler Suppose that the mind of the Prince and the Cobbler switch bodies. Now, who is the person in, say, the Cobbler’s body? The Prince? Or the Cobbler?

Memory Theory I am the same individual as long as I can remember at least something from my past stages Officer General Child

Objections to Memory Theory Officer General Child

Objections to Memory theory summed up Amnesia False Memories Butler’s objection: I am not who was because I remember being that person; rather, I remember being that person because I was that person

But what if there is no such thing as me?

Bundle Theory “You” are nothing but a collection of, somewhat loosely related, perceptions, memories, feelings, etc. There is no “you” apart from this bundle of related mental contents 1711-1776

Enter The Buddha Siddhartha Gautama Born c. 563 BCE in Lumbini, today in Nepal Died c. 483 BCE (aged 80) in Kushinagar, today in India 14

Sheltered life

The Four Passing Sights 16

Enlightenment

The Four Noble Truths 1) Life is suffering (dukkha) 2) The cause of suffering is desire (tanha) 3) The cure for suffering is in overcoming desire 4) The way to overcoming suffering is the eight- fold path 18

The eight-fold path Meditation 19

Basic Buddhist Concepts THE THREE MARKS OF EXISTENCE Dukka - Suffering Anicca - The doctrine of impermanence. Anatta - The doctrine that there is in humans no permanent, underlying substance that can be called the soul, the self, or the ego. THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF BUDDHISM Nirvana- The extinction of desire, hatred, and ignorance and, ultimately, of suffering and rebirth. Literally, it means “blowing out” or “becoming extinguished,” as when a flame is blown out or a fire burns out. 20

Divided Brains