In chapter five of the book “Problems From Philosophy”, by James Rachels, the author guides us through “The Problems Of personal Identity”, and its theory’s. The main points in this chapter were the theory’s, like The Bundle Theory, The Soul Theory, The Same-Body Theory, and The Memory Theory.
This chapter consists of theories attempting to define personal identity. The chapter begins questioning whether we can survive death, and where do we go after we die. We can’t solve these questions however, without figuring out what we are, our personal identity. Many theories’s came about regarding the issue of personal identity, these theories’s brought up argument that questioned, or denied their accuracy. The Bundle Theory states that you are made …show more content…
There is only one catch: We can’t have two of you running around, so after the procedure is completed, the original “you” will be destroyed and the new “you” will carry on as before”(Rachels 53). This really caught my attention, because you would have a doppelganger that would have all your memories and personality, the catch is that you would be destroyed, but the other you will get a million dollars. Why would anyone choose to get the million dollars and be destroyed, I read this part of the chapter to some of my co-workers, and they all said that they would not agree with this, because it would mean that they would be dead. Why would they accept the million dollars knowing that they will be destroyed, and the other them will be receiving the million dollars. “John Locke (1632-1704), the first major philosopher to discuss personal identity, argued that “sameness of body” cannot be the measure of whether two individuals are the same person” ( Rachels 59). I have always heard that there are about seven people in the world that look exactly like you. They are not all the same person, and they don’t have the same, memories, personalities, or beliefs, The Same-Body Theory cannot prove that just because two people look exactly alike, that they are the same person. “Memory always goes with responsibility. Whether you should be held responsible for an action depends on whether you can remember doing it. (Rachels 63). I don’t agree with Locke’s argument, because murders, burglars, and criminals could always say that they don’t remember committing the crime, and get away with whatever they did. Children always say they don’t remember misbehaving at school when they are questioned by their parents, this doesn’t mean that they are telling the truth, and it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be punished. I don’t believe that this was a very just argument, because memory can’t always go with
This chapter consists of theories attempting to define personal identity. The chapter begins questioning whether we can survive death, and where do we go after we die. We can’t solve these questions however, without figuring out what we are, our personal identity. Many theories’s came about regarding the issue of personal identity, these theories’s brought up argument that questioned, or denied their accuracy. The Bundle Theory states that you are made …show more content…
There is only one catch: We can’t have two of you running around, so after the procedure is completed, the original “you” will be destroyed and the new “you” will carry on as before”(Rachels 53). This really caught my attention, because you would have a doppelganger that would have all your memories and personality, the catch is that you would be destroyed, but the other you will get a million dollars. Why would anyone choose to get the million dollars and be destroyed, I read this part of the chapter to some of my co-workers, and they all said that they would not agree with this, because it would mean that they would be dead. Why would they accept the million dollars knowing that they will be destroyed, and the other them will be receiving the million dollars. “John Locke (1632-1704), the first major philosopher to discuss personal identity, argued that “sameness of body” cannot be the measure of whether two individuals are the same person” ( Rachels 59). I have always heard that there are about seven people in the world that look exactly like you. They are not all the same person, and they don’t have the same, memories, personalities, or beliefs, The Same-Body Theory cannot prove that just because two people look exactly alike, that they are the same person. “Memory always goes with responsibility. Whether you should be held responsible for an action depends on whether you can remember doing it. (Rachels 63). I don’t agree with Locke’s argument, because murders, burglars, and criminals could always say that they don’t remember committing the crime, and get away with whatever they did. Children always say they don’t remember misbehaving at school when they are questioned by their parents, this doesn’t mean that they are telling the truth, and it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be punished. I don’t believe that this was a very just argument, because memory can’t always go with