Rodogno — “Personal Identity Online”

What central question does Rodogno investigate in “Personal Identity Online”?

Rodogno investigates whether the internet creates fundamentally new kinds of personal identity or whether online identities simply fall into the same categories used offline. He concludes that online life does not create new identity types; instead, it creates contextual confusion about which identity category is being invoked.

What is Rodogno’s main thesis about online identity?

Rodogno argues that online worlds such as Facebook do not generate new categories of personal identity. They instead create confusion because traditional forms of identity—passport, numerical, attribution, social role, and attachment identity—lack clear contextual cues online.

What is “passport identity,” and when is it relevant?

Passport identity refers to official identifying information such as name, age, nationality, and physical description. It is relevant in bureaucratic or security contexts (e.g., airports or ID checks), where the question “Who are you?” requires only this factual data.

What is “numerical identity” in personal identity theory?

Numerical identity is the philosophical concept concerning whether a person at time T1 is the same individual at time T2. It addresses the conditions under which personal identity persists through changes in memory, psychology, or physical condition.

Give an example illustrating numerical identity questions.

If a man named Alfred suffers a stroke that erases all memories and changes his personality, friends might ask, “Is this still the same Alfred?” This is a question about numerical identity—whether the post-stroke person is numerically identical to the pre-stroke Alfred.

What is “attribution identity,” and why is it important?

Attribution identity concerns which actions, intentions, and mental states genuinely belong to a person. It determines moral responsibility (“Am I accountable?), prudential concern (“Why save for future me?”), and survival (“What binds me to my future self?”).

What is a clear example of attribution identity from Rodogno’s summary?

A 25-year-old Brenda wonders why she should save money for retirement. She is questioning what makes her future elderly self her—a question about attribution identity and prudential concern for future selves.

What is “social function identity”?

Social function identity refers to the identity appropriate to a particular social situation—e.g., describing oneself as “the repairman” when answering the door. It is a context-specific role, not a deeper claim about the person’s nature.

What is “attachment identity,” and why does Rodogno consider it central?

Attachment identity is who a person is based on what they deeply care about—projects, values, passions, or commitments. Rodogno considers it central because it shapes emotions, motivations, attention, and self-narratives. Example: A repairman who sees himself primarily as a violinist.

Why does Rodogno say the question “Who are you?” has no single meaning?

Because its interpretation depends entirely on context: it could ask for official identity, personal history, moral responsibility, roles, or deep attachments. Without context cues, the question is ambiguous.

Why is identity more confusing online than offline, according to Rodogno?

Identity is more confusing online because online interactions lack embodied cues (tone, body language), mix multiple purposes (professional, personal, social), and use platforms that fragment identity information (e.g., Facebook’s Info section vs. Wall posts).

Give an example of online identity confusion from Rodogno’s analysis.

A photo of Sally’s fancy Christmas dinner may ambiguously express cultural identity, attachment identity, social signaling, or casual sharing. Offline, situational cues would clarify the intended identity category; online, those cues are missing.

What is the Psychological Continuity view of personal identity?

The Psychological Continuity view, associated with Locke and Parfit, holds that personal identity persists through continuity of psychological traits—such as memories, beliefs, character, and intentions. A person remains the same if their psychology remains connected over time.

What is the Biological Continuity view (Animalism) of personal identity?

Biological Continuity (Animalism), defended by philosophers like Eric Olson, claims that personal identity persists through the persistence of the living human organism. Even if memories or personality change, the person remains the same biological animal.

What is Narrative Identity Theory?

Narrative Identity Theory, associated with Schechtman, MacIntyre, and Taylor, argues that personal identity is constituted by the story one tells about oneself. Identity emerges from integrating life events into a coherent narrative that expresses who the person takes themselves to be.

How does Narrative Identity Theory explain why events matter differently to different people?

Narrative Identity Theory holds that events matter only if they fit within a person’s self-narrative. For example, an athletic accomplishment matters for someone whose life-story includes being an athlete but not for someone who sees themselves otherwise.

Why does Rodogno reject the claim that the internet creates brand-new identity types?

Rodogno rejects the claim because all online identity phenomena can be understood using pre-existing offline categories (passport, numerical, attribution, social, attachment). The internet does not introduce new identity types; it only complicates how traditional types are presented.

What role does anonymity play in the illusion of new identities online?

Anonymity makes it seem as though people create new selves online, but Rodogno argues these are merely different roles, masks, or expressions within existing identity categories—not new forms of personal identity.

How does Rodogno respond to Sherry Turkle’s claim that online life lets us create multiple identities?

Rodogno argues that supposed “multiple identities” online are better understood as multiple roles or attachments, not distinct selves. True multiple identities would require deep psychological dissociation, which is extremely rare.

Why does Rodogno think online role diversity does not imply multiple selves?

Because offline life already includes diverse roles—parent, employee, friend, athlete—and these do not constitute multiple selves. Online roles simply add further contexts, not new persons.

How can immersive online environments (e.g., MMORPGs) impact personal identity?

Immersive environments can influence identity by shaping a person’s attachments and narrative identity, especially if they invest significant time and emotion. This affects who they take themselves to be, but does not constitute a fundamentally new category of identity.

Why does Rodogno compare online identity-shaping events to offline important life events?

Rodogno claims that time-intensive online activities (e.g., gaming communities) function like offline events—they become part of one’s narrative and shape attachments. They influence identity but remain within established identity frameworks.

How does digital memory storage affect narrative identity?

Digital platforms store vast archives of posts, photos, and interactions. This can strengthen narrative identity (by providing continuity), constrain it (by preserving outdated material), or disrupt it (if past online content no longer matches one’s current self-story).

What identity challenges arise from old online posts no longer fitting one’s current self-conception?

When old online content no longer aligns with current identity, individuals may feel disunity or alienation. The mismatch between stored digital memories and current self-story can weaken narrative coherence.

Why does the lack of body language online create identity confusion?

Offline, tone and body language signal which identity category is relevant—professional, personal, emotional, etc. Online, these cues are missing, making it unclear whether a statement reveals deep attachment identity, casual social identity, or something else.

How does Facebook’s design contribute to identity confusion, according to Rodogno?

Facebook separates identity information into structured sections (like “Info,” suggesting passport or social identity) and dynamic posts (which may reveal attachment identity). These mixed signals make it unclear which identity domain a user is expressing at any moment.

Why does Rodogno think online platforms combine too many purposes into a single space?

Online platforms simultaneously host personal updates, professional networking, hobbies, social signaling, and political expression. This mixing of contexts makes it easy to misinterpret which identity category a user is expressing.

What is Rodogno’s final conclusion about online identity?

Rodogno concludes that online life does not create new forms of identity; instead, it produces confusion about which traditional identity category is being invoked. Online identity primarily reflects underlying attachment identity, and while online experiences can influence identity, they do so within existing frameworks.

How does Rodogno explain the continuity between online and offline selves?

Rodogno argues that people bring their offline attachments, roles, and narratives into online spaces. Online identity expression is thus a continuation or extension of offline identity, not the creation of a new self.

According to Rodogno, why is the idea of “totally new online selves” philosophically mistaken?

The claim is mistaken because traditional identity categories (numerical, attribution, social, etc.) can fully explain all online identity practices. Apparent “new selves” arise from misinterpreting context, not from any genuine multiplication of persons.