15 Questions
According to John Locke, what defines someone's identity as a person?
The continuity of conscious memory
What is the first question that Locke addresses in relation to the sense of self?
Is the sense of self an element added to experience?
What did Descartes emphasize as the core of his certainty?
"I think, therefore I am"
According to Immanuel Kant, what accompanies all experiences?
"I think"
What did Locke consider beyond doubt about the continuous self?
"I that write this am the same myself now whilst I write that I was Yesterday"
What was Koko's unique ability among gorillas?
Using American Sign Language
According to the text, what do many species view staring at a mirror as?
A threat
Who designed the mirror test mentioned in the text?
Gordon Gallup
What thought experiment does Derek Parfit borrow from science fiction?
Teletransporter
What term does Parfit use to describe someone who believes in discrete yes-or-no packages of selves?
Ego theorist
According to Locke, what makes someone the same person numerically over time?
Continuity of memory
What condition does the case of Reverend Ansel Bourne illustrate?
Dissociative fugue
What did Michael Gazzaniga's split-brain research initially suggest about the existence of selves?
Existence of multiple selves
Which sense of self does Damasio refer to as transient and recreated for each interaction?
Core self
What is indicated by animals passing the mirror test?
They have a sense of self
Study Notes
- William James and Antonio Damasio both discuss the existence of a sense of self within consciousness
- Personal identity refers to what makes someone the same person over time
- Locke argues that continuity of memory is what makes us the same person numerically, not identity of bodies
- Case of Reverend Ansel Bourne is an example of dissociative fugue, a condition of reversible amnesia for memory, personality, and personal identity
- Split-brain research by Michael Gazzaniga initially suggested the existence of multiple selves but later changed his mind due to the role of the interpreter
- James and Damasio discuss different senses of self: "me" and "I" for James, core self and autobiographical self for Damasio
- Core self is the self we feel as the focus of experience, transient and recreated for each interaction
- Autobiographical self includes lasting characteristics and has the properties of long-term memory
- Animals, such as chimpanzees, orangutans, and bonobos, pass the mirror test, indicating they have a sense of self.
Explore the concept of self-consciousness and its connection to memory, as examined through the perspective of John Locke's philosophy. Understand how continuity of conscious memory defines personal identity, and learn to distinguish between two distinct yet interconnected questions related to this topic.
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