that doesn't negate the idea of identity simply being a brainstate. let us define identity though for just a moment:

1. the state or fact of remaining the same one or ones, as under varying aspects or conditions: The identity of the fingerprints on the gun with those on file provided evidence that he was the killer.
2. the condition of being oneself or itself, and not another: He doubted his own identity.
3. condition or character as to who a person or what a thing is: a case of mistaken identity.
4. the state or fact of being the same one as described.
5. the sense of self, providing sameness and continuity in personality over time and sometimes disturbed in mental illnesses, as schizophrenia.
6. exact likeness in nature or qualities: an identity of interests.
7. an instance or point of sameness or likeness: to mistake resemblances for identities.
8. Logic. an assertion that two terms refer to the same thing.
9. Mathematics.
a. an equation that is valid for all values of its variables.
b. Also called identity element, unit element, unity. an element in a set such that the element operating on any other element of the set leaves the second element unchanged.
c. the property of a function or map such that each element is mapped into itself.
d. the function or map itself.
10. Australian Informal. an interesting, famous, or eccentric resident, usually of long standing in a community.

i am personally referring to the bolded definition. by that, we cannot, in my opinion, define identity. think about this: you have a car that you have had for a long time and will continue to own forever because you love this car. over time, you replace every part due to wear. when you replace the headlamps, you obviously still call it your car. even when you replace the engine it is still that car. when you have replaced every single molecule of the original car, is that still the same car? i'd say yes. that happens in the body as well. by the time you are about 20 years old there isn't a single atom in your body that was there when you were born. is that still you, or are you a new person? i'm 22. i still feel like me. what, then, defines our identity?

my new theme song



erikboyd60@hotmail.com

"True poetry can communicate before it is understood"

-T.S. Eliot

battle record:

7-0-0

If we were to describe a person, how could we describe a person's personality identity? For instance, an old man might not be the same as he was when he was a 20 year old. He may not have the same desires, drives, wishes, etc. So is he a different person? In fact he would be. The only way someone could have identity is if their composing matter never moved or changed (the subatomic particles can't even vibrate), and they would have to maintain the same desires, drives, wishes, etc. until they no longer existed. Of course this is impossible. The fact that everything is forever changing in almost every way prevents any sense of identity from existing. We might be able to say that identity is an ever developing thing (but that would kind of contradict its meaning).

Now as far as people having individuality, sure. But we have no control over it.

I suppose once an entity (person) completely dies, then an identity of that entity could be construed by others still alive, but only after that entity dies. Because after they die there can be a complete record of that entity's existence, thus change to the identity has ceased, and there can then be an identity given to the dead entity. But while they are alive, they don't really have a true life identity, they rather have slices of identity as they pass through time, each slice connected to other slices in a continuous chain. By this sense we can give an entity an identity when they are dead because there is a trail that we can track back that only that one entity would have, thus providing a specific identity to that entity. It is difficult because there are multiple levels of identity beings it is on a continuum and also beings it goes against the common definition of identity.

Parfit believes that if we understand this (and a bit more not mentioned), then it helps us defeat self-interest and fear of death.

wow, that's pretty damn interesting. idk if i can agree with what i understand of it at face value, but it is in the direction of what i understand, although a little too sci-fi-ish and possibly presumptuous. i'll have to read into this a bit more.

my new theme song



erikboyd60@hotmail.com

"True poetry can communicate before it is understood"

-T.S. Eliot

battle record:

7-0-0