Personal Identity (Great Debates in Philosophy)

What does it mean to say that this person at this time is 'the same' as that person at an earlier time? If the brain is damaged or the memory lost, how far does a person's identity continue? In this book two eminent philosophers develop very different approaches to the problem. Opposing perspectives offer deep insight into identity Personal Identity explores the idea of identity by way of a debate between prominent philosophers with competing points of view. Richard Swinburne presents personal identity in the context of dualism, while Sydney Shoemaker argues a materialist's perspective in contrast. With each theory presented individually with illustrations and clear explanations, the second part of the book is devoted to each author's reply and rebuttal to his opponent's ideas. Whether exploring personal identity for the first time or delving deeper into an established philosophical niche, this book offers a lively discussion with much insight and room for analysis. Professor Shoemaker's account, by contrast, is designed to be compatible with a materialist view of mind. Starting with a simple memory theory, he refines and eventually supplants it with a wider theory of psychological continuity. When this account is developed in the right direction, he argues, it converges with the view of personal identity revealed by a functional account of mind Professor Swinburne presents a dualist view. He criticizes empiricists who confine the discussion to weighing the relative importance of brain continuity, and continuity of memory or character. Personal identity cannot, he claims, be analysed in terms of such observable phenomena. If it can be analysed at all, it is only in terms of sameness of 'soul' Personal Identity: The Dualist Theory / Richard Swinburne -- Personal Identity: A Materialist's Account / Sydney Shoemaker -- Richard Swinburne's Reply -- Sydney Shoemaker's Reply. Sydney Shoemaker And Richard Swinburne. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. [153]-156. The exchange does not end there: in the final part of the book each author is given a chance to rebut the other's argument. The result is a lively debate which illuminates both the substance and the methods of philosophy