Define Personal Identity

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The specific criteria of personal identity regards the essential conditions for a person at one point in time to be the same person at another later point in time. Further, the concepts involved in one’s mental characteristics will be discussed to determine if these criteria suffice in what defines personal identity. Regarding mental characteristics, we will examine an individual’s psychological traits which are developed through his or her past experiences and genetic predispositions. Additionally, we will be looking at how an individual at a certain time will have memory of previous experiences. We must carefully assess how these conditions for personal identity can be plausible, identify any objections to these criteria, and evaluate how these objections affect the validity of these conditions. In discussing how mental characteristics relate to personal identity, we must examine the importance of an individual’s psychological characteristics. An individual has a certain set of psychological traits and behaviors, and their identity may be defined by these characteristics. By saying this, we can state that the experiences which form one’s personality are unique to that certain individual. This follows the assumption that all of these mental characteristics lie within one’s consciousness in one’s brain. Thus, in the hypothetical case in which an individual’s brain and mental characteristics are being transferred to a different body, the new body in which the original psychological characteristics lie will be identified as that particular individual. If an individual demonstrates a consistent pattern of behavior, they may be identified by these characteristics. A person’s psychological characteristics seem as if they can possibly be a determinant of personal identity, however, there are some issues with this concept. …show more content…
In order to define personal identity, we must find the criteria that makes an individual the same individual at two separate times. But there are cases in which a person’s psychological traits and behavior cannot be relied upon to define personal identity. For instance, if there was an individual, who has a certain personality and psychological traits, and another individual, who was being mind-controlled to have the same personality and traits, then differentiating between the two individuals is extremely difficult if psychological traits are the criteria which define a person’s identity. Because these two individuals now have the same psychological traits, they must have the same identity. However, according to our statement earlier, a person’s psychological characteristics are supposed to distinguish between the identity of two individuals. Thus, because in this case the individual’s personality and behavior cannot differentiate identity, psychological traits and behavior cannot be considered as criteria for personal identity. Although personality and behavior may not be possible criteria for personal identity, one’s memory may satisfy the necessary conditions of personal identity. In considering memory, we are saying that an individual can be identified by their memory of their own previous experiences and mental states. Thus, a person is the same person as they were in the past as long as they have the same memories. If someone were to be identified as the same person, they must have a recollection of their past experiences and events. The memory that one contains about past episodes constitutes their personal identity, as one is identified by their sequence of events that they have experienced in their life. According to this criteria, if one had no memory of their previous experiences, then they would have no sense or awareness that they were the same person in the past. As we explore memory as a candidate criteria for personal identity, there are instances in which one’s memory of events cannot distinguish between the identity of separate individuals. The first case is in which one cannot remember prior events that they have …show more content…
To be a valuable criteria for personal identity, there must be a definite pattern and consistency to the criteria, which can thoroughly explain the continuity of identity from one point in time to another point in time. In this evaluation, we have gone with the assumption that if there is an exception in the criteria, the criteria cannot meet the necessary conditions of personal identity, and is no longer considered. It seems that once a criteria is accepted, it is considered as sufficient because there are no latter objections, or that objections can be countered. While, the issue of personal identity remains problematic, it is important to acknowledge all of the possible factors that go into determining plausible criteria for

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