Personal IdentityJohn Perry This volume brings together the vital contributions of distinguished past and contemporary philosophers to the important topic of personal identity. The first part sets forth the attempts by John Locke, Anthony Quinton, and H. P. Grice to analyze personal identity in terms of memory. The eleven other selections are largely critical of this approach and provide alternative perspectives. Part II contains classic contributions by Joseph Butler, Thomas Reid, and Sydney S. Shoemaker, and a new paper by John Perry--"Personal Identity, Memory, and the Problem of Circularity"--in which he defends some of the central features of the Locke-Grice-Quinton approach. Part III contains three sections from David Hume's Treatise of Human Nature: "Our idea of Identity," "Of Personal Identity," and an appendix which the editor has entitled "Second Thoughts." In the fourth part of the volume, Bernard Williams discusses "The Self and the Future," and Derek Parfit contributes his view of "Personal Identity." A recurring theme throughout the work is the possibility of "body transfer"--of a single person having, at different times, different bodies. In the final section of the volume ("Brian Bisection and the Unity of Consciousness"), Thomas Nagel examines the philosophical implications of recent scientific research on split-brain patients' he discusses the possibility, entertained by some researchers, that such cases involve two persons simultaneously inhabiting a single body. In his long introduction to this unique anthology on a topic of prime interest to the philosophical community, Mr. Perry scrutinizes the differing approaches and vocabularies of the various authors. The editor also includes "Suggestions for Further Reading." |
Contents
The Problem of Personal Identity | 3 |
Of Identity and Diversity | 33 |
The Soul | 53 |
Personal Identity | 73 |
Of Personal Identity | 99 |
Of Identity | 107 |
Of Mr Lockes Account of Our Personal | 113 |
Personal Identity and Memory | 119 |
Our Idea of Identity | 159 |
Second Thoughts | 173 |
The Self and the Future | 179 |
Personal Identity | 199 |
Brain Bisection and the Unity | 227 |
Suggestions for Further Reading | 247 |
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Common terms and phrases
A-body-person acquainted analysis answer Anthony Quinton argument assert belief belong bodily identity brain brain-trace Butler causal character and memory concerning consciousness consider contain a memory corpus callosum criterion of identity criterion of personal David Wiggins DEREK PARFIT distinct evidence existence experience contained fact given certain conditions Grice H. P. GRICE happen heard a noise human body Hume idea iden imagine immaterial substance imply impression individual kind Locke Locke's logical construction M-relation matter mean memory claims memory-knowledge mental mind ness notion object occur one's optic chiasma P. F. Strawson P.E. theory past actions perceptions person-stages personal identity possible present psychological continuity q-intentions q-memories q-remember question Quinton reason recollection relation remember right hemisphere seems sense sentences sort soul split brains suggest suppose survive Sydney Shoemaker thing THOMAS NAGEL Thomas Reid thought tion tity tree true unity visual field Wiggins witnessing word