Written Reflection3

Locke on Personal Identity

(1632-1704)

Locke

• But Locke points out that people can forget things. Nobody ever has the history of themselves within their immediate consciousness, and that would seem to be necessary to realize that we are the same person as who we were in the past.

Locke

• Locke also points out that when we sleep, we have no thoughts at all, and are literally not conscious. Our consciousness is interrupted.

Locke

• Locke says that to the extent that we share memories with our past selves we are the same person.

Locke

• Locke then poses a hypothetical situation. What if the consciousness of a person can be transferred from one substance to another? (e.g. If you could somehow download the entire contents of my brain into a “blank” brain....)

Locke

• Locke says “It must be allowed that if the same consciousness can be transferred from one thinking substance to another, it will be possible that two thinking substances may make but one person. “

Locke

• Final thought experiment: Punishment. If I woke up with all of Hitler’s memories tomorrow, Locke would argue, that I AM Hitler, and would deserve all the punishments that would follow from being Hitler.

Locke

• We are identified by our memories.

• We are not our body.

• We are not our soul.

• Same memories = same person.

Locke

• What are some problems/concerns with Locke’s position?

Locke

• What are some problems/concerns with Locke’s position?

• 1. Amnesia • 2. Getting really drunk • 3. Sleep still seems like a problem • 4. The pile of memories slowly changes.