The argument of whether or not a human has a soul has been argued throughout centuries. Derek Parfit discusses two separate theories of personal identity, Ego Theory and Bundle Theory. The argument of which present a more accurate account of personhood is very hard to determine. The Ego Theory has some flaws such the soul is separate from the body and is a immaterialist object within us. Bundle Theory is reinforced and proven by the split-brain case, however it can lead to the argument that there is no self. Bundle Theory is the theory that the self is an illusionary concept, everything that exists is a bundle of perception. Ego Theory is that there is a soul. The Ego Theory has some flaws such the soul is separate from the body and is a immaterialist object within us. Bundle Theory is reinforced and proven by the split-brain case, however it can lead to the argument that there is no self. …show more content…
The Bundle Theory explains how there is no self underlining through, that the self is an illusion. In this Theory the self is an idea as it is continuous through time, unchanging. The self is perfectly identical from one time to the next, strictly numerically. The self is perfectly simple as the soul has no parts thus a person cannot lose part of self. Heraclitus once stated, "upon those who step into the same rivers flow different and again different waters." In Bundle Theory we are just a bundle of experiences. However, if Bundle Theory is correct, one can easily try to avoid certain situations simply by stating “I am not the same person who I was yesterday” in cases such as a parking
Through analysis of a few of the proposed necessities of personhood–consciousness, intelligence, and self-awareness–the
Socrates in the dialogue Alcibiades written by Plato provides an argument as to why the self is the soul rather than the body. In this dialogue Alcibiades and Socrates get into a discussion on how to cultivate the self which they both mutually agree is the soul, and how to make the soul better by properly taking care of it. One way Socrates describes the relationship between the soul and the body is by analogy of user and instrument, the former being the entity which has the power to affect the latter. In this paper I will explain Socrates’ arguments on why the self is the soul and I will comment on what it means to cultivate it.
The purpose of this essay is to show that John Locke’s direct memory view of personal identity results in a person to be and not to be the same person at the same time. I will salvage Locke’s direct memory view of personal identity to avoid this contradiction. First, I will state Locke’s direct memory view of personal identity. Second, I will state Reid’s objection to Locke’s direct memory view of personal identity.
Persistence is the view that persons have psychological continuity, thus, a person is the future being that inherits the mental features from that person. A person is also the past being whose mental features they have inherited. Olson refers to this question of persistence as the “traditional problem” of personal identity. The question of persistence asks what is essential and adequate for a person existing at one time to be identical with something present at another time. Therefore, Olson believes that contemporary philosophers think an answer to this question would resolve all there is to know about the metaphysics of personal identity (“An Argument for Animalism”, 613).
In “A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality”, Gretchen Weirob and Sam Miller conduct a philosophical debate about the possibility of a continued existence after death. Weirob argues that she herself cannot exist after death because her identity is composed of her body, rationality, and consciousness. In Derek Parfit’s “Personal Identity” he ponders how the concept of identity works, and how the true nature of our identity affects some of the most important questions we have about our existence. I believe that Velleman did a better job of exploring the idea of identity than Weirob did.
Whether it be in the workplace or walking down the street there is always going to be more pressure and judgment being focused on women than men. Why is this? Gender plays a big role on the reflection of our identities to society. We have been brought to believe that there are certain ways men and women should and should not act, dress and talk. These social norms do not just apply to what is acceptable in regards to public safety but rather, it is used as a way to control and evaluate behavior.
If the soul cannot possibly begin when a person does, when and where else could the event take place? However, Darrow 's argument is impaired by his incongruous application of the term soul. He mentions that the soul is popularly equated with identity, consciousness and memory, but fails to specify whether it is this notion or another that he uses. (42) Presuming, for the sake of moving forward, that it is this definition he himself adopts, it seems directly in conflict with his belief that the soul would exist outside of the physical body. (43) Darrow 's argument lacks a clear explication of his concept of the soul and, furthermore, it presents a confusing, contradictory account of the soul 's nature and
“An individual perception of self, of body image, of time, of space influences the way he or she responds to object and events in his/her life. As individuals grow and develop through the lifespan, experiences with changes in structure and function, of their bodies over time influence their perceptions of self” (King, 1981, p. 19). These concepts give us the basis for understanding how individuals are personal systems. Perception, is “A process of organizing, interpreting, and transforming information from sense data and memory” (King, 1981, p. 24).
Derek Parfit is a British philosopher who specialises in problems of personal identity and he proposes that we separate the notions of identity and survival. He is one of the most prominent philosophers in the struggle to define the self. Parfit’s 1971 essay “Personal Identity” targets two common beliefs which are central to the earliest conversations about personal identity. The first belief is about the nature of personal identity; all questions regarding this must have an answer. Between now and any future time, it is either the case that “I shall exist or I shall not”.
For many years, the issue of self-identity has been a problem that philosophers and scholars have been to explain using different theories. The question on self –identity tries to explain the concept of how a person today is different from the one in the years to come. In philosophy, the theory of personal identity tries to solve the questions who we are, our existence, and life after death. To understand the concept of self-identity, it is important to analyze a person over a period under given conditions. Despite the numerous theories on personal identity, the paper narrows down the study to the personal theories of John Locke and Rene Descartes, and their points of view on personal identity.
In this essay I will be comparing the identity theory to the behaviorist’s theory. Both theories are similar in the sense that they are of the monists (physicalism) view but they do vary in many other ways that I will point out in the duration of my essay. I do believe that the behaviorist theory is the better argument for reasons I will outline in this essay. The identity theory The identity theory refers to the understanding that the mind and the brain are identical.
This thought of theoretical antihumanism clearly rejects the basics of modern philosophy that every human being has an universal essence which is individual. The next course of dislocation to identity is due to Freud’s discovery of unconscious. Individual was considered to be a rational subject with a fixed identity but Freud’s theory said that all desires and identities are due to logic unconscious which is different from logic of reason. Again, the interpretation of his texts has had a great impact on modern thought of identity.
I will compare and contrast Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory and Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory. Erikson is a psychoanalytic theorist who believes that our unconscious mind and early experiences in life shape our development. Erikson postulates that we develop in 8 stages that he calls psychosocial stages. Bandura, on the other hand, holds that we develop based on social cognitive stages that are affected by environmental influences. Let’s start with Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory.
The self can be defined as ‘an organised, consistent set of perceptions of and beliefs about oneself’ (Passer, Smith, Holt, Bremner, Sutherland & Vliek, 2009, p676). We should aim to understand ourselves, learn know how we function
Maria Monserrat Larkin 28 April 2015 Exam 2 Ethical vs Psychological Egoism Egoism is the theory that one 's self is the motivation and goal of one 's own action. “The term egoism derives from ego, the Latin term for 'I ' in English. (Moseley)” There are two types of egoism: psychological and ethical.