Many may believe that they are the same person throughout all their life. However, can one really say that the person who is reading this essay right now is the same person 10 years ago? Many philosophers have wondered if one’s memory can effectively determine personal identity. Well, in what follows, I will argue that memories do not determine one’s personal identity over time. In fact, there is no enduring self that would define personal identity.
One way of determining personal identity is memory. In philosopher John Locke’s view, he proposed that what makes a person remain the same over time is their memory of past events (Velasquez 94). For example, if one, now 30, remembers something from when they were 5, if one remembers being that
One way of determining personal identity is memory. In philosopher John Locke’s view, he proposed that what makes a person remain the same over time is their memory of past events (Velasquez 94). For example, if one, now 30, remembers something from when they were 5, if one remembers being that