Derek Parfit's Beliefs On Personal Identity
Angela Dyson
PHILO 1100
Professor Altilio
08/02/15
“Personal Identity” What does being the person you are or showing the morals that are instilled within you consist of? The answer to this question is your personal identity. “Personal Identity” by Derek Parfit explores two beliefs about personal identity. The first is the belief that all questions about personal identity have an answer, and the second is that important matters like survival, memory, and responsibility cannot be decided without answering the question of personal identity. In other words, Parfit analyzes what a person is and what a person’s existence is over time because questions about personal identity are all-or-nothing. He argues that these beliefs are mistaken proving …show more content…
In the end, you come up with two separate calculations each independent of the other. The left side of the brain and right side of the brain simultaneously wrote the answer with different processes with the corresponding hand. The troubling question here is, what is it to have two thoughts at the same time and to have them reunite? Parfit’s suggestion to these perplexing questions “is to give up the language of identity?” (346) To disapprove the second belief, Parfait argues that you can have everything essential for survival and still not have identity. He says, “we can solve this problem only by taking these important question and pricing them apart from the questions about identity” (346). In other words, Parfit wants us to give up the language of identity. Identity is all-or-nothing and one-one but survival needs not to be one-one (347). To argue this point, Parfit uses a case about fusion where survival is a matter of degree and does not presuppose identity. Fusion involves changing some of our desires and characteristics while choosing a compatible partner. In this example of fusion and the earlier example of fission, Parfit has establishes that all-or-nothing nor one-one matters. If you believe that this is synonymous with identity, then identity cannot
PHILO 1100
Professor Altilio
08/02/15
“Personal Identity” What does being the person you are or showing the morals that are instilled within you consist of? The answer to this question is your personal identity. “Personal Identity” by Derek Parfit explores two beliefs about personal identity. The first is the belief that all questions about personal identity have an answer, and the second is that important matters like survival, memory, and responsibility cannot be decided without answering the question of personal identity. In other words, Parfit analyzes what a person is and what a person’s existence is over time because questions about personal identity are all-or-nothing. He argues that these beliefs are mistaken proving …show more content…
In the end, you come up with two separate calculations each independent of the other. The left side of the brain and right side of the brain simultaneously wrote the answer with different processes with the corresponding hand. The troubling question here is, what is it to have two thoughts at the same time and to have them reunite? Parfit’s suggestion to these perplexing questions “is to give up the language of identity?” (346) To disapprove the second belief, Parfait argues that you can have everything essential for survival and still not have identity. He says, “we can solve this problem only by taking these important question and pricing them apart from the questions about identity” (346). In other words, Parfit wants us to give up the language of identity. Identity is all-or-nothing and one-one but survival needs not to be one-one (347). To argue this point, Parfit uses a case about fusion where survival is a matter of degree and does not presuppose identity. Fusion involves changing some of our desires and characteristics while choosing a compatible partner. In this example of fusion and the earlier example of fission, Parfit has establishes that all-or-nothing nor one-one matters. If you believe that this is synonymous with identity, then identity cannot