For Locke, personal identity does not subsist on the substance it is made of, be it of physical or spiritual nature (p. 16-17). For, if personal identity would rely on physical matter, it would mean that losing an arm or leg would constitute a new identity. Locke says that by seeing a person without an arm as the same person they were with the arm, is proof that “the substance whereof personal self consisted at one time may be varied at another” (p. 15). Thus, if the physical is not what defines personal identity because of its variance through time is inconsistent with personal identity, it would be mayhap be possible to attribute personal identity to an immaterial soul, one that is consistent through time. But Locke would not concur, and not due to the incompatibility of the soul with personal identity.
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In other words, it is the notion that this being is able to “consider itself as itself” through different times that make up its personal identity (p. 14). As such, it is consciousness of past actions that identity is composed of. That said, it is this notion of continued consciousness that takes into account the difficulty proffered by the fact that our consciousness is at times interrupted by things such as “sound sleep” (p.15). Locke maintains that although our consciousness does not exist as a continuous stream, we nevertheless maintain our identity (p. 15). The reason personal identity does exist in spite of these interruptions, is due to Locke’s theory that personal identity exists so long as “the intelligent being can repeat the idea of any past action with the same consciousness it had at first” (p. 15, italics in original), and it is this consciousness that “unites existences and actions very remote in time into the same person,” creating personal identity (p.
In other words, it is the notion that this being is able to “consider itself as itself” through different times that make up its personal identity (p. 14). As such, it is consciousness of past actions that identity is composed of. That said, it is this notion of continued consciousness that takes into account the difficulty proffered by the fact that our consciousness is at times interrupted by things such as “sound sleep” (p.15). Locke maintains that although our consciousness does not exist as a continuous stream, we nevertheless maintain our identity (p. 15). The reason personal identity does exist in spite of these interruptions, is due to Locke’s theory that personal identity exists so long as “the intelligent being can repeat the idea of any past action with the same consciousness it had at first” (p. 15, italics in original), and it is this consciousness that “unites existences and actions very remote in time into the same person,” creating personal identity (p.