Help with philosophy, John Locke, Personal identity and Free Will?
Q. The question is: Discuss whether the following cases person B has the "same consciousness" in the sense required for person A and person B to be the same person: Person A comes to have no conscious memory of its earlier history, though memory traces of its actions and experiences remain stored in its brain or immaterial mind. After a lengthy period, these memory traces are reactivated and the person at the time (person B), who has the same human body and the same immaterial mind, comes to have conscious apparent memories of some or all of A's actions and experiences (and is conscious of these along with its own actions and experiences). Sorry if this is lengthy but any help or opinions would be much appreciated!
Asked by Sam - Fri Jul 3 17:19:50 2009 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments

A. sounds like according to Lockes theory of personal identity, which is based in memory, person B would be two people at the same time. Because when person A lost all memory, he became a new person. That is, person B. Then years later down the line, person B all of a sudden gets all of person A's memories and experiences, making him person A. But if he has memories himself of being person B over the years, he is person B as well. edit: Merlin, you are just attacking Locke's empiricism. However it has nothing to do with his theory of personal identity. You can be a rationalist and still hold to his theory. As long as you believe in such a thing as memory and consciousness.
Answered by Brian - Fri Jul 3 17:46:55 2009

Is it possible to have a personal identity without having a future that one can consciously anticipate?
Q. And, Is it possible to have a personal identity if ones conscious awreness is restricted to the present moment alone? (philosophy question)
Asked by Martha Stewart - Thu Dec 17 14:47:28 2009 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments

A. Yes. You have an identity while you exist.You can't be restricted to the present moment alone because it is impossible to tell when one moment ends and another begins.Was that two moments or just one?
Answered by James A. - Thu Dec 17 14:55:36 2009

Do U think of your personal identity as fixed or evolving?B4 U Answer, How do U define your personal identity?
Q. A Q about self-identity is a fundamental metaphysics Q(uestion) in philosophy. Pls no superficial "I think therefore I AM." responses. Get past that general statement if you can, and provide deeper insights into the self identity Q. I suggest Googling the metaphysical identity problem called the "Ship of Theseus" to all. I'm adding more details bec so many have no background in philosophy. Locke said we started with zero identity as blank slates. Existentialists like Sartre believed we create ou identity w/choices we make. Erich Fromm proposed an 8 stage chronological theory of identity development. Is anyone able to A the Q supported by studies and knowledge that goes beyond personal sybjectivity? That is what real philosophy is about.
Asked by heeltap - Tue Dec 18 10:38:02 2007 - - 5 Answers - 0 Comments

A. it's evolving constantly.. I am a totally different person from who I was 5 years ago.. not sure if I'm getting better or worse though..
Answered by Byakuya - Tue Dec 18 10:45:44 2007

What are your thoughts on a course entitled "Philosophy and Literature"?
Q. Below, I've provided a description of a (phil) course I'm considering taking this upcoming term. I was hoping you could provide some perspective as to what you think the course will really offer and what I can expect to get out of it. (I have my own ideas, but I'm interested in how other people might understand such a course description.) If you've taken a class of this nature, please feel free to share your experience with me. I'm an eng/phil double major so you can see why I might find this class interesting ... Look forward to your answers! Philosophy and Literature - Philosophical issues in works of literature or arising from theories of literary interpretation. Topics include issues relating to relativism, the nature of morality,… [cont.]
Asked by llulu_lemonn - Sat Jul 14 02:01:52 2007 - - 4 Answers - 0 Comments

A. It sounds like a worthy course to take. When choosing a course interest is the key. Since you are a Philosophy & English Double Major, the course, "Philosophy & Literature," will probably provide you an intellectually stimulating and rewarding experience, because the course topic is right at the intersection of your majors. I once took a contemporary political theory course on human nature, and literature. It was an interesting course, and among the best courses I have ever taken. I had to read utopia/dystopia novels including 1984, We, Brave New World, Utopia, Shakespeare's King Lear, other books, and plenty of philosophical articles. It was a course that required a lot of reading, even more than the average philosophy course, but… [cont.]
Answered by MindTraveler - Sat Jul 14 08:20:31 2007

Bunch of Philosophy questions?
Q. What do you think about personal identity, and why? If the clone has all the memories of the original, it seems as though she would have to act in the same way, right? If not, what would be the reason for her( the cloned one) to act differently? Suppose there is a clone of my girlfriend. If the cloned one sees me making out with another random girl, do you think the cloned one would react the same way as my girlfriend?(The cloned one is considered to have the same memories and beliefs.)? Why ?
Asked by abhin t - Sun Apr 26 22:49:11 2009 - - 4 Answers - 0 Comments

A. If you clone yourself and seat yourself next to yourself in a diner you will possibly order different things and say different things, although with exactly the same accent. If you and a friend went to the diner and you sat on the LEFT you might order something different than if you sat on the right in front of the specials menu. Well that is what is happening to your clone, they are changing because you are not in the same SPOT having the same exact experiences anymore. A clone has every opportunity to behave totally differently due to the minute possible experiences, stray neuron firings and different free radicals going off in their brains. Your girlfriend's clone could have a massive stroke and DIE when she sees you cheat, which… [cont.]
Answered by Happy Hiram - Sun Apr 26 23:21:35 2009

Meaning of Life Philosophy?
Q. For my philosophy paper I have to somehow tie in the ideas of skepticism, determinism, personal identity through time, athiesm, no absolute morality, and dictatorship being better than democracy... and how these ideas raise difficulties for a life to be meaningful (or worth living). I'm really stuck on this, any input would be much appreciated!
Asked by Paz Freak - Wed Apr 7 19:47:32 2010 - - 4 Answers - 0 Comments

A. alright, let's go through these ideas one by one, defining each so we understand the pieces of the puzzle before we put them together: first off, skepticism. this is a little tricky, as it can be applied to any system. one could be skeptical of a dictator's efficacy just as much as a democracy's however, skepticism can lead to a disbelieve of an absolute truth altogether second: determinism this one is pretty simple: no choice personal identity is a subject, not a philosophy, but these other topics raise serious implications regarding this matter atheism/no absolute morality: these two are very similar, and fairly obvious in meaning: no right, no wrong however, it is important to note that atheism, being naturalistic, denies any sort… [cont.]
Answered by sociopathic_destructobot - Thu Apr 8 03:05:24 2010

How many spiritual paths did you take b4 discovering ur personal TRUE spiritual identity?
Q. All spiritual minded welcome; wiccan, pagan, buddhist, zen,ect. Which paths did you follow? What was it about this particuliar philosophy or religion/spiritual view(s) that matched up to your belief system the most? and what are some of the most spiritually inspiring messages that it has taught you about life? Any Christian's responding please only answer if you've been more spiritually educated --if you've done some self discovery about yourself in atleast another path. Thank you.
Asked by deirdrefaith - Thu May 17 01:50:33 2007 - - 9 Answers - 0 Comments

A. wow. i was raised as a christian. in high school i was an agnostic. then i practiced wicca. then buddhism. now im content with extracting the beauty in all of my spiritual paths. no need to set myself on one
Answered by latenightdrives - Thu May 17 01:55:57 2007

i need help in philosophy. badlyyy?
Q. Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous George Berkeley 1) How does Hylas define what it means to be a skeptic? Not affirm or negate, one that doubts everything 3) What is the material substratum that Hylas refers to? Locke is hylas, external material substance, independent of your senses. Berkely is philoonous, idealist everything exist in your mind. Not dependent on mind is material substratum. 4) In the end, how has Philonous defended the notion of idealism? Of Personal Identity David Hume 2) What are the two ideas of identity that Hume describes? What is his purpose in making this distinction? 5) How does Hume show that identity fails to be maintained by his three suggested criteria: contiguity, resemblance, and… [cont.]
Asked by Joe Y - Tue Oct 28 01:38:35 2008 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments

A. Will just start from what's interesting and develop from there. Blaise Pascal's wager is perhaps most important. It is based on simple logic: no one is able to prove a universal negative, e.g. "God is not," as Omniscience and Omnipresence in all dimensions would be needed. Hence, there is a 50-50 chance, other things being equal, that God is. The general qualification for eternal life, for Heaven, is basically what the rich young ruler asks Jesus. Jesus states the basic commandments, do not murder, etc. These are condensable into: "Love God completely and love colleague as Self." For this level of investment, an infinite Good is offered. This is an infinite gain for a limited type of effort re behavior, which behavior in most… [cont.]
Answered by j153e - Tue Oct 28 03:23:03 2008

What is the thoery in the new french philosophy called 'l'homme universel?'?
Q. I want to write a research paper on this topic, but I can't find any references of it. I was introduced to this theory by a french professor of mine last year and she's on sebatical now and I can't get ahold of her. My french professor said this theory was something close to emphasizing getting rid of group identities in personal identification. For example, stop thinking of oneself as a "black man" or a "white, christian woman", but both just as a person, each. Equal. I don't know if this is really even a theory or if it is just rhetoric, but any information is helpful, especially from people who have been to/lived in France. Thank you!
Asked by Angela G - Thu Apr 5 00:34:57 2007 - - 3 Answers - 0 Comments

A. Move to Canada,it's an everyday reality.
Answered by shotgun - Thu Apr 5 00:39:26 2007

Is the mantra "the personal is political" destroying the Democratic party?
Q. Identity politics is in overdrive now, tearing apart the Democratic party. It started during the feminist movement of the 1960s, which argued that the public/private divide was fictitious, and that the personal is political. This means that you can no longer disagree with someone regarding their ideas or positions, because it is illegitimate to try to parse out a person's characteristics--race, sex, class, disability, sexual orientation, and so forth--from the positions they hold. In other words, if you criticize a black person for their ideas you are also critizing them for being black. Remember, the mantra is "the personal is political." So now everything happening in the democratic party boils down to racism or sexism, and this… [cont.]
Asked by Joe - Fri Apr 25 21:21:17 2008 - - 3 Answers - 0 Comments

A. until i just learn to be a victim like the dems want me to believe i'd say they have more than that destroying them. until im a victim ill just keep clinging to my guns and paying taxes for weasly hippies and global whining
Answered by big_twinhd - Fri Apr 25 21:27:08 2008

Speak to me! Lend Me Your Minds! Transwomen, TS Women, MtF Transsexuals please? ...and Thank You!?
Q. I was waiting for a taxi at my local Safeway supermarket recently and as I waited in the entrance vestibule, I saw a rack of free magazines (child care magazines, seniors magazines, community college and university calendars, etc) and what caught my eye was a magazine called 'Womanition: Woman In Progress. It is a slick promotional magazine which features successful women entrepreneurs in my local region, Southern Alberta. Well, the name of the magazine stuck in my mind, because it describes exactly what Transwomen, or transitioning (or post transitional) MtF Transsexuals have to go through to match their personal Core Gender Identity. Womanition - Woman in Progress. Kinda apt, dontcha think? Anyhow, inside the magazine they ask each… [cont.]
Asked by PetroGuy - Sun Nov 15 03:37:07 2009 - - 4 Answers - 0 Comments

A. Even though I don't have much to offer here goes: 1. Never really had a mentor. I've been a loner my whole life. 2. Well prior to transition I would have said "confusion" and just going along to get along. Then it was transition and the goal of being complete. Now it's just being me, relaxing and expressing myself fully. 3. Being yourself, living honestly and helping others. By transitioning I am myself, enjoy life more and can do a better job helping others. 4. Other than birth? No ONE event. It was a slow accumulation of thousands of little events, my struggle to understand their meaning and finally hitting the wall when I couldn't live the lie that everyone else wanted me to live any longer. 5. I've been giving back since… [cont.]
Answered by Clones Don't Have 90k Pts - Wed Nov 18 06:13:20 2009

I'm a latecomer at kicking off my career, where should I start?
Q. Three simple questions, but please excuse the details. I'm 24 years old, female, living in Jakarta Indonesia, and a sophomore in college studying communication management. I'm quite knowledgeable at basic business administration, public relations, marketing, world cultures, philosophy and public speaking, and am a gifted trilingual. Previous jobs I've had include hosting a radio talk show, producing a theatre production, hosting concerts and seminars as master of ceremony (MC), interpreting, translating, make up artist, and HR intern at a small company marketing consumer goods. The problem is, I've never achieved anything consistently significant in these jobs because they're mostly project based and I didn't network enough to… [cont.]
Asked by Mizz G - Fri Jul 10 06:20:08 2009 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments

A. Wow, just reading your question made me feel stupid compared to you. Geez, you have lots of experience. Strong work ethics. I don't even know what to say, im afraid that you'll think im dumb haha. Well anyways i would suggest going into politics. There you can speak out, work hard, drive your ideas to reality. Or you can try your hand in Hollywood, Bollywood. It will be hard and lots of leaps of faith but with a brain like yours you can manage it. Everybody has there falls. Just depends how high you bounce back up. Don't kick yourself to hard. Hope this helps. Im sure you knew all this already. Good luck.
Answered by i-chase - Fri Jul 10 06:39:57 2009

Philosophy help, Thanks!!!?
Q. "For am I not what I am, to some degree, in virtue of what others think and feel me to be? When I ask myself what I am, and answer: an Englishman, a Chinese, a merchant, a man of no importance, a millionaire, a convict -- I find upon analysis that to possess these attributes entails being recognized as belonging to a particular group or class by other persons in my society, and that this recognition is part of the meaning of most of the terms that denote some of my most personal and permanent characteristics. ... It is not only that my material life depends upon interaction with other men, or that I am what I am as a result of social forces, but that some, perhaps all, of my ideas about myself, in particular my sense of my own moral and… [cont.]
Asked by http://rainynewz.com - Mon May 10 20:56:48 2010 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments

A. This quote is talking about the definition of "self." What defines you? Is it how you look, think, act, interact and react? Or is it what others think of you, how the treat you, and what traits they heap upon you? To give you an example: you may think of yourself as the most beautiful person on earth, but does it matter what you think if your peers refuse to acknowledge you for what you are and collectively label you as an ugly duckling? This quote even goes deeper, it is suggesting that not only you are what others think of you, you think of yourself as a collective effort of the society you partake in. To give you an example, are you moral because you were inherently born so, or because society around you values morality? So basically,… [cont.]
Answered by Eqan A - Mon May 10 22:18:51 2010

Can someone good at English help me edit this short application essay?? Thanks.?
Q. I'm not that great at witting essays, and i need help on diction and sentence flow and whatever. FYI This particular essay is only supposed to talk about what i like about the college...not supposed to brag about myself. Thank you very much people!! 10 points to best help. I feel that Allegheny College presents an incredible opportunity to a student like myself. The 3-2 program at a liberal arts college not only offers access to outstanding graduate schools, but also allows me to experience a more diverse learning adventure. I love how students at Allegheny explore regions of learning outside of their major. For example, my primary interest is in engineering and the natural sciences. However, I am also fascinated with economics,… [cont.]
Asked by doug03oc - Sat Dec 6 16:12:54 2008 - - 3 Answers - 0 Comments

A. paragraph 1 --sentence #1--Change "myself" to "me." paragraph 2 -- sentence 2 -- Change "environment like at at Allegheny" to "environment like that of Allegheny." para 2, sent 3 -- "Accessibly" should be "accessibility." para 2, sent 4 -- Eliminate the word "us." Change "brings" to "bring" Paragraph 3, sentence 1 -- Eliminate the comma after the word "goals"
Answered by Marilyn M - Sun Dec 7 10:29:04 2008

would you proofread my short essay?
Q. hi, this is not really an essay. i had to write my personal narrative essay and after getting done with it, now i have to write a peer evaluation by myself. that would be nice if you check my writing, i am an international student in college from japan! my essay is this: Peer Evaluation of First Draft of Literacy Narrative, Essay #1 Why does this particular story matter to you? - The incident, a car crash, is very important to me, since the most beautiful girl was my first girlfriend and we were ready to be happy forever at that time. However, her death let me grow more mentally. I realized a lot of important things after she died, such as how to compromise, which has been very crucial to my life. Why does it stand out in your… [cont.]
Asked by yujiro_sano - Fri Sep 26 23:35:36 2008 - - 6 Answers - 0 Comments

A. Why does this particular story matter to you? The incident, a car crash, is very important to me, since the most beautiful girl was my first girlfriend and we were ready to be happy forever at that time. However, her death let me grow more mentally. I realized a lot of important things after she died, such as how to compromise, which has been very crucial to my life. Why does it stand out in your memory? I will never forget this story. At least, I have been thinking about it every day almost for four years since she passed away. The most beautiful girl was crucial enough for me not to be able to forget many things related to her. I sometimes even hate myself, the one who let her go somewhere alone, and I also hate the driver who… [cont.]
Answered by secrets - Fri Sep 26 23:46:22 2008

What would you do? Was your body found in a drug dump:?
Q. I know this question will be deleted very very soon. A church, a man in a church, a denomination, has taken an interest in ruining me.He has friends, it is a group within other groups, continuing from where I came from for $$$, . My incompency does not exist & is not a factor. We, my kids and I, are victims , as was my husband, not perpetrators.My body was not found in a drug dump. My body was found when I voiced a dislike of a certain person, and asked the identity of another. It was found when I stated I was heterosexual and liked men, wanted to date & marry. I did not say a word about retiring. i did not ask about or express interest in a specific man, had no interest in a specific man. I had been going to & trying to find … [cont.]
Asked by unknown - Fri Jul 30 13:53:18 2010 - - 0 Answers - 0 Comments

Mashup education, experience, and skills at 24. What should I do if establishing a school is my eventual goal?
Q. In college I have studied business management, European politics, advertising, philosophy (four of these one year each), and performing arts communication (am in junior year, will be graduating with a bachelor's degree in communication next year). I failed my first four attempts at college not because of laziness or Iack of commitment; but because I made some ignorant choices in my personal lives that required a lot of cleanup, wrecked my relationship with my family, and compromised my mental health. In between I took a year off to take care of myself and make amends at home, got back into college, and gradually pursue the dream again. The dream has been in my heart practically all my life: I want to set up the first performing arts high… [cont.]
Asked by Mizz G - Tue Feb 16 10:38:22 2010 - - 2 Answers - 0 Comments

A. Base on your dream, you need to have passion in education. Without passion it's difficult to success. You have a goal to achieve, but you don't know how...that is normal. Because you don't have to map out everything till you success. What you need to do is take action step by step. Remember Wright Brother who invented airplane. They have dream to fly but in the beginning they don't know how. but they keep try and try till they success. So I think if you want to get involve in education business you need to join education company and learn how they run the business.
Answered by anjang - Wed Feb 17 19:03:36 2010

What do you think of my wacky beliefs? Just want to know if anyone on Y/A know at all of what i speak?
Q. Don't call them wacky though.. be creative in your criticism. Sorry its kinda long and boring if your not interested in peoples beliefs but here it is. This is not a new ideology.. it has been around for as long as humans have been around. I just want to know what people think... im not here to preach.. im here to express my views and in turn receive criticism. Should i find any of the criticism to have merit or constructive value, i will evolve my ideas. lol ok.. all the religious folk and especially atheists are gonna eat me for breakfast over this (especially since my views on religiosity like any theist are not backed with anything scientific) but im a pagan i suppose.. and i had what some would call a "spiritual experience" (though… [cont.]
Asked by Of the Eye - Thu Apr 15 05:50:08 2010 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments

A. So basically you've borrowed an assortment of ideas and beliefs from previous thinkers, religions, and a couple of comedians, and you incorporated them into your own set of wacky beliefs. I don't see how that's wacky since that's the norm. Hell, everyone I can think of does that. Or do I associate with wacky people and am also wacky? I like that word by the way, wacky.
Answered by puredagnastyevil - Thu Apr 15 05:59:40 2010

What do you think of my wacky beliefs?
Q. Read it all you pussy!!! jk its kinda long and pointless if you arn't interested in peoples beliefs but here it is. Don't call them wacky though.. be creative in your criticism. This is not a new ideology.. it has been around for as long as humans have been around. I just want to know what people think... im not here to preach.. im here to express my views and in turn receive criticism. Should i find any of the criticism to have merit or constructive value, i will evolve my ideas. lol ok.. all the religious folk and especially atheists are gonna eat me for breakfast over this (especially since my views on religiosity like any theist are not backed with anything scientific) but im a pagan i suppose.. and i had what some would call a "spiri [cont.]
Asked by Of the Eye - Thu Apr 15 08:06:25 2010 - - 1 Answers - 0 Comments

A. I partially disagree that your view lacks scientific backing. The cyclical usage of matter on Earth and in the universe lends itself very nicely, in fact. After all, you and I have breathed the same air at some point, the elements that are currently making up my body have existed in millions of other forms prior to my existence, and will afterward as well. I suppose there is a kind of leap of faith involved moving from that fact to the whole business about "universal unity" and "the illusion of ego," etc., but at least it makes common sense. It's more like a step of faith in comparison to buying into Christianity, if you ask me...
Answered by zt - Thu Apr 15 08:31:39 2010

What do you think of my crazy beliefs?
Q. Read it all i say!!! read it all!!! jk its kinda long and pointless if you aren't interested in peoples beliefs but here it is. Don't call them crazy though.. be creative in your criticism lol. This is not a new ideology.. it has been around for as long as humans have been around. I just want to know what people think... im not here to preach.. im here to express my views and in turn receive criticism. Should i find any of the criticism to have merit or constructive value, i will evolve my ideas. lol ok.. all the religious folk and especially atheists are gonna eat me for breakfast over this (especially since my views on religiosity like any theist are not backed with anything scientific) but im a pagan i suppose.. and i had what some… [cont.]
Asked by Of the Eye - Sun Apr 25 01:55:45 2010 - - 8 Answers - 0 Comments