Locke says, "nor is it at all material to say that this same and this distinct consciousness, in the cases above mentioned, is owing to the same and distinct material substances or no" Locke was talking about consciousness defining who we are. I would think consciousness is immaterial, but from the quote above it seems like he is referring to it as being material. Can someone please clarify what he is trying to say?
"nor is it at all material to say that this same and this distinct consciousness, in the cases above mentioned, is owing to the same and distinct material substances or no"
I'm not great at understanding philosophers ideas, but the first part of that seems to be indicating that consciousness is not "at all material."
It makes me think about the genes we get from each of our parents. Genes are material, right? Yet each new person (each consciousness) is different, thinks differently, etc. Is it something material that is making these immaterial elements in us?
You may find more ideas in one of these search results:
http://www.google.com/search?q=locke+john&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
In the quote you provided, John Locke is discussing the concept of consciousness and its relation to personal identity. Locke argues that the continuity of consciousness is more important in defining personal identity than the continuity of material substances.
Locke mentions "this same and this distinct consciousness" to emphasize that what matters for personal identity is the continuity of one's own individual consciousness, regardless of whether it is connected to the same or different material substances. By "distinct consciousness," he means a separate consciousness that exists at different times or in different bodies.
To better understand Locke's viewpoint, it may help to consider his overall philosophy. According to Locke, consciousness is a subjective experience that each person possesses. He suggests that consciousness can exist independently of the physical body, as evident in cases where people remember past experiences even when their bodies have changed or deteriorated.
Locke's argument challenges the idea that personal identity depends solely on the persistence of physical substances or the sameness of matter. He emphasizes that it is the continuity of consciousness that should be given more weight in determining personal identity. So, while consciousness is generally considered immaterial, Locke highlights its significance and argues that it is crucial in defining who we are as individuals.