Locke Personal Identity
Outline and critically discuss Locke’s theory of personal identity.
John Locke laid down the systematic groundwork of personal identity in the
study of modern philosophy. Locke highlights his approach to the
problem of personal identity in Chapter XXVII of the book II in An Essay
concerning Human Understanding. This paper will explore the features that
persuaded Locke to treat the problem of personal identity and then go on to
analyse Locke’s theory in light of these factors. It will then inspect the
implications of his theory. Furthermore it will contain a brief assessment of the
theory’s historical significance.
In exploring the reasons as to why Locke treated the problem on personal
identity, it is …show more content…
Locke theorizes ‘Self is that conscious thinking thing…which is sensible or
conscious of pleasure and pain, capable of happiness or misery and so is
concerned for itself as far as that consciousness is concerned’ (Locke, 1690,
Chapter XXVII). Thus each person’s consciousness is different, and can never be
identical to that of another. Our thoughts and memories are formed by individual
experience therefore change of consciousness/memory will result in a change in
the person.
Some of the implications of John Locke’s theory of personal identity consist of
problems when people are faced with loss of memory. Locke suggests, failure to
remember, rids them of their identity; an example Locke uses is ‘a total amnesiac
will have identity at an instant if they are conscious, rational and self-aware, but
no identity over time’ (Locke, 1690, Chapter XXVII). Furthermore his theory in
light of people, who have memory loss, isn’t applicable as these individuals carry
the same mind throughout the span of their lifetime. This is also evident when he
says that ‘God would find someone innocent of a crime, if they had …show more content…
Gottfried Leibnitz was one of the many who was influenced
by Locke’s work, who also criticised his theory. Leibnitz published a rebuttal to
Locke’s work, and in it wrote the following called, A New Essay Concerning
Human Understanding and in this he attacks Locke’s theory, chapter to chapter
he goes on to disproof Locke’s theory (Leibnitz, 1698, p, 13-20). Since Locke’s
theory of personal identity was one of the first to analyse the conception of
consciousness and that of the self, his criticisers such as Leibnitz had a similar
empirical concept of the matter regarding personal identity.
Nonetheless Locke’s theory is well known among philosophical scholars and his
work is greatly appreciated, Having influenced philosophers like Leibnitz it is
evident that his theory is still valid to those today, such as functionalists, who
outline a person in relation to a set of mental functions.
Reference list:
-Descartes, R, (2007), Mediations on First philosophy, Nu Vision Publications, Sioux Falls, SD USA, pp,
John Locke laid down the systematic groundwork of personal identity in the
study of modern philosophy. Locke highlights his approach to the
problem of personal identity in Chapter XXVII of the book II in An Essay
concerning Human Understanding. This paper will explore the features that
persuaded Locke to treat the problem of personal identity and then go on to
analyse Locke’s theory in light of these factors. It will then inspect the
implications of his theory. Furthermore it will contain a brief assessment of the
theory’s historical significance.
In exploring the reasons as to why Locke treated the problem on personal
identity, it is …show more content…
Locke theorizes ‘Self is that conscious thinking thing…which is sensible or
conscious of pleasure and pain, capable of happiness or misery and so is
concerned for itself as far as that consciousness is concerned’ (Locke, 1690,
Chapter XXVII). Thus each person’s consciousness is different, and can never be
identical to that of another. Our thoughts and memories are formed by individual
experience therefore change of consciousness/memory will result in a change in
the person.
Some of the implications of John Locke’s theory of personal identity consist of
problems when people are faced with loss of memory. Locke suggests, failure to
remember, rids them of their identity; an example Locke uses is ‘a total amnesiac
will have identity at an instant if they are conscious, rational and self-aware, but
no identity over time’ (Locke, 1690, Chapter XXVII). Furthermore his theory in
light of people, who have memory loss, isn’t applicable as these individuals carry
the same mind throughout the span of their lifetime. This is also evident when he
says that ‘God would find someone innocent of a crime, if they had …show more content…
Gottfried Leibnitz was one of the many who was influenced
by Locke’s work, who also criticised his theory. Leibnitz published a rebuttal to
Locke’s work, and in it wrote the following called, A New Essay Concerning
Human Understanding and in this he attacks Locke’s theory, chapter to chapter
he goes on to disproof Locke’s theory (Leibnitz, 1698, p, 13-20). Since Locke’s
theory of personal identity was one of the first to analyse the conception of
consciousness and that of the self, his criticisers such as Leibnitz had a similar
empirical concept of the matter regarding personal identity.
Nonetheless Locke’s theory is well known among philosophical scholars and his
work is greatly appreciated, Having influenced philosophers like Leibnitz it is
evident that his theory is still valid to those today, such as functionalists, who
outline a person in relation to a set of mental functions.
Reference list:
-Descartes, R, (2007), Mediations on First philosophy, Nu Vision Publications, Sioux Falls, SD USA, pp,