Personal Identity
‘Personal Identity’ has two aspects: the first-person perspective of knowing how I identify myself as me, and the other-person (second and third) perspective of how others identify me as who I am – or who they think I am.
It might seem a simple enough concept, but Philosophy has taken the concept to great heights. It proves to be anything but simple. In fact, this concept evokes a mine-field of questions, many of them unanswerable. In addition, many questions are highly ethical, and therefore, worthy of serious investigation.
Like all existing things, persons change over time. So what makes me a person? If I am constantly changing, am I the ‘same’ person at one time as I was or will be at another? And, is ‘personal identity’ the same thing as the ‘self?’
Body or Mind?
Some thinkers think that identity is contained in the body. In fact, it is my body that makes me who I am. Other thinkers consider that identity is contained in the mind – ‘I think, therefore I am’ is a familiar phrase (from 17th century French philosopher Descartes). What do you think? If the question of Personal Identity interests you read on. I don’t guarantee that you will get an answer though!
2002 Thesis Abstract and Prologue
2002 PhD Thesis: Complex Persons: A Holistic Solution to Personal Identity
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