PHIL 200 Lecture 9: Parfait and Personal Identity

• School: McGill University
• Department: Philosophy
• Course: PHIL 200
• Professor: Michael Blome Tillmann

Document Summary

Numerical identity: holds between a thing and itself x and y are numerically identical id and only if they are the same thing: can be expressed with the equal sign (eg: x = y, numerical identity) Qualitative identity: share properties (eg: color, shape, size, etc. ) X is psychologically continuous with a past or future y only if some of x"s current mental states relate to those y is in then by a chain of psychological connections: chain of psychological connections (branching relation) Notion of personal identity: as you get older you have only have some psychological continuity (this lessen over time - matter of degree) Parfait"s conclusion: we"re concerned about is our psychological continuity (someone who retains some of your memories, carries out your intentions, similar to you, etc. ), not our identity or that one person that"s identical to us: identity and survival don"t go hand in hand, you can survive as two di erent people.