In-Depth Notes on Persons and Personal Identity

Concept of personhood varies between common usage and philosophical discourse.
King Kong and Koko the gorilla used as examples of personhood discussions.
Koko's linguistic abilities demonstrated self-awareness, humor, and emotional understanding.
Key philosophical questions about personhood:
- Identification Question: What properties must a being possess to count as a person?
- Reidentification Question: What ensures that a person remains the same person over time?
- Characterization Question: What fundamentally makes a person unique?

Distinction between metaphysical personhood and moral personhood, and legal personhood.
Legal personhood allows rights and privileges, which can be denied based on societal standards (e.g. slaves, women)
Moral personhood typically applies to those considered worthy of moral consideration (often related to consciousness or agency).
- This does not always align with legal definitions or species membership (e.g. corporations,
  artificial intelligences).
Historical references to both legal and moral personhood challenges (Roe v. Wade, cases for great apes).

Metaphysical personhood pertains to what it means to be a person, distinctly separate from biological definitions.
Discussion includes humans at various life stages, individuals with disabilities, non-human animals, and even potential alien or artificial beings.
Common conclusion: appearance or species membership does not determine personhood.
The notion of persons is further explored through the ongoing debates and case studies (e.g., dolphins, great apes, Koko).

Traditional philosophical discussions about the nature of personal identity primarily lean on Locke's Memory Theory: identity is linked through continuity of consciousness and memory recall.
Challenges arise from instances like amnesia, dissociative identity disorder, leading to critiques of the memory theory:
- Senility Example: Memories may fade, raising questions on identity's permanence.
- Coma vs. Persistent Vegetative State: Different philosophies influence perspectives on existence and personhood across medical and cognitive evaluations.

There are three primary theories under the Physical Approach: Bodily Theory, Animalism, and Brain Theory.
- Bodily Theory maintains identity rests on physical continuity of the same body over time.
- Animalism identifies persistence with biological continuity rather than psychological attributes.
- Brain Theory (Embodied Mind Theory) focuses on brain continuity while accounting for consciousness.
All three theories face objections like vagueness in bodily identity, transplant intuition, and views of identity during conditions of brain injury or disability.

Proposed as a robust alternative to theories of numerical identity regarding personal identity.
- Descriptive versions focus on the identity formed through narrative structures that reflect an individual’s life events.
- Prescriptive versions argue that constructing a narrative should play a significant role in understanding identity.
Critiques include that:
- Reality constraints may dismiss non-narrative experiences.
- Some individuals do not identify narratively, suggesting that a narrative framework could be limiting or exclusionary.
- Tension exists as constructing narratives may suggest identity is pre-existing intuition.
Ultimately, the narrative theory helps in addressing various identity-related issues associated with gender, race, and trauma, establishing deeper explorations into personal identity dynamics.

Philosophical discussions around personal identity are complex, often yielding non-intuitive conclusions.
This makes pursuing clarity on identity and personhood essential for understanding ourselves in a societal context, encompassing discussions on ethics, morality, and the nature of consciousness.