I think therefore I am: Philosophy Forums

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I think therefore I am

nosos
skeptical

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Posted 09/02/06 - 12:05 AM:	#11
This is essentially the Buddhist teaching of not-self expressed through a western analytic paradigm: numerical identity is a false construct and therefore there’s no sense in which personal identity persists through change. To paraphrase Krishnamurti, each moment we die and the next we are born anew.
"The men of the future will yet fight their way to many a liberty that we do not even miss? - Max Stirner "The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." - JS Mill "I'd rather be a crying little pussy than a faggy Goth kid." - Butters

markb287
Student

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Posted 09/02/06 - 12:49 PM:	#12
Whether or not one is a changed person, one must always take responsibility for one's answers. Of course we change -- every moment we are changing. Bergson, in his Creative Evolution says that existence is continuous change. But the continuity is key; these are random changes where we are a killer one second and a innocent person the next. This continuity is what gives one guilt, pleasure, pain, etc... And we must take responsibility for these "continuous changes".

Gulnara
Professor

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Posted 09/18/06 - 11:39 AM:	#13
Not only memory constitutes personhood, but also witnesses, and evidence. The evidence can say, this person has murdered someone yesterday, while today he saved someone's life, because today he was already different person. Who knows may be yesterday he was different person and today came back to be himself? By social measures he'll be punished anyway. May be in jail he'll receive an award for saving life too. However, never heard of such combination of behavior. Usually person capable of murder is not capable of saving someone's life. Although it might be as well a stereotype.
G.E.

Mike the Kitty
Aspirant

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Posted 09/18/06 - 12:16 PM:	#14
Punishments are seldom for rehabilitation (although sometimes this is true). More often they are used for deterrence. Now, punishing a murderer, whether or not it is the same "person" as comitted the murder, ideally will have the effect of deterring them from committing a crime again, and hopefully will deter other members of the society. The concept of punishment is independent of the concept of self, imo. Society must have unshakable consequences for transgressions of social maxims, even if that means a few people who have already internally rehabilitated themselves must pay the price. Punishment is a social construct. Rehabilitation is a personal one.

Gulnara
Professor

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Posted 09/18/06 - 01:56 PM:	#15
Such punishment as social construct is in disagreement with person's ability to acquire chance for greatness throughout his life. Say, someone stole a bit of money, because he has shown weakness in a face of need. Send him to jail, and he'll become worse then he was before. Let him be, may be shame him, and someday he will give people incomparably more, then he stole one time. He will sponsor orphanage, he will help his old parents, friends in need, because temporary weakness do not define person.
G.E.

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