Self-Less By John Locke And Personal Identity

Locke and Personal Identity Locke presents the idea of personal identity as the question of what makes us the same person over time. How are we able to identify ourselves outside of our physical bodies? Does one remain the same person even if we have physical resemblances and continuity of memory? In the movie Self/Less (Ben Kingsley, 2015), Damian a rich real estate entrepreneur is at the peak of his success is faced with the rough reality of cancer, that is untreatable and consuming his body. Damian turns to an uncommon approach to saving his mind, by transferring his “spiritual substance,” according to Descartes’s Dualist view of human beings to a younger more youthful empty vessel (body) portrayed by (Ryan Reynolds). According to Locke …show more content…
In the movie even though Marks body is being used by young Damian the more curious and aware that Damian becomes through his understanding of Mark’s past the less that Damian is in control of Mark’s body “from inside,” Mark’s memories, which prove Locke’s argument. The “physical” red pill that young Damian takes every day at a specific time in order to reduce Mark’s character to fully take over his body, is specific to Locke’s point. One is not able to control memory- based understanding even through physical modifications the memory eventually takes over and removes imposter behavior to the real …show more content…
Locke argues that there are “true memories,” the human spirit will persist and “love will conquer all.” This is proven at the very end young Damian is finally able to understand that he is not in control of Mark’s body, and the thought of consuming the red pill is only a temporary medicine to Mark’s real identity. Damian eventually gives in, and refuses to continue taking the red pill and allows Marks true personal identity to take over, and let his mental substance fade away. Mark is then able through Locke’s perspective to find himself and returns to his wife and