IB Philosophy SL Exam - PERSONAL IDENTITY

qualitative identity

shared properties; things can be more or less qualitatively identical; a beagle and a pug are qualitatively dogs

numerical identity

requires absolute, or total, qualitative identity; can only be between a thing and itself; we are focused on this

memory theory

personal identity is defined by the ability to remember past experiences, linking a person’s present self with their past self through memory.

branching problem

freaky friday, still same because of memories, but what if we were split into 2 bodies, each body would create new memories

breakfast problem

If I cannot remember what I ate for breakfast this morning, was a I different person this morning than as I am now?

brave officer problem

old guy can’t remember from childhood, but when he was a teenager he could remember his childhood; A does not equal C

person as a forensic term

someone to whom I owe moral consideration status as one who makes moral decisions deserves moral respect and consideration

Hume’s bundle theory

the self is not a single, enduring thing, but rather a collection of constantly changing perceptions, with no fixed identity underlying them

The self as a social construction

personal identity is not something we're born with, but something we build through our relationships, language, and cultural environment