What happened today in Philosophy class
This one time, several months ago, I had a huge crush on a boy but then he got back together with his ex.
In the time that we were talking I was going through some emotional, personal realizations about things that occurred in my past--or at least I have come to believe happened in my past.
This semester he is in two of my classes.
During Philosophy of Mind we were talking about personal identity; how your mind is a constituent of personhood and is constructed through our memories of experiences. I asked my friend, "What if you don't remember the person from before? Are you the same person?" My friend said no, but as an individual with massive memory loss I didn't agree. How can I possibly be the same person as I was when I was 5 if I have basically no memories before the age of 14? I don't even know who that person is!
That's when **(the boy I had a crush on)** asked, "What about someone who was severely abused as a child and have memory loss? Have they always been the same person?"
That's all I have, no pressing deep thoughts on the topic. Just... it was curious.
This one time, several months ago, I had a huge crush on a boy but then he got back together with his ex.
In the time that we were talking I was going through some emotional, personal realizations about things that occurred in my past--or at least I have come to believe happened in my past.
This semester he is in two of my classes.
During Philosophy of Mind we were talking about personal identity; how your mind is a constituent of personhood and is constructed through our memories of experiences. I asked my friend, "What if you don't remember the person from before? Are you the same person?" My friend said no, but as an individual with massive memory loss I didn't agree. How can I possibly be the same person as I was when I was 5 if I have basically no memories before the age of 14? I don't even know who that person is!
That's when **(the boy I had a crush on)** asked, "What about someone who was severely abused as a child and have memory loss? Have they always been the same person?"
That's all I have, no pressing deep thoughts on the topic. Just... it was curious.
andysith:
Well .. That has got me thinking.. Surely for you not to be the same person it would imply you were defined only by memories?
ecrivaine:
I don't think we're defined only by memories, but that is one theory of mind. I do however think that it is impossible for me to say that I was ever that person before 14, since I don't know who that person was. To others that person exists, but for me, it doesn't. It's peculiar.