Locke says, “Make these intervals of memory and forgetfulness to take their turns regularly by day and by night, and you have two persons with the same immaterial spirit, as much as in the former instance two persons with the same body.”

I am having trouble understanding this quote about what the immaterial spirit is and the two persons?

http://www.jiskha.com/display.cgi?id=1273623510

In this quote, John Locke is discussing the concept of personal identity. He suggests that if we divide our memories and moments of forgetfulness equally throughout our waking hours, it would be as if we have two separate individuals with the same "immaterial spirit."

To understand this quote, it is essential to comprehend Locke's views on personal identity. Locke argues that personal identity is not based solely on having the same physical body but also on the continuity of consciousness. According to him, what makes someone the same person over time is their ability to remember past experiences.

In the quote, Locke is using the analogy of dividing our memories and moments of forgetfulness evenly throughout the day and night. By doing so, he suggests that if two individuals have the same memories and forgetfulness at different times, they would have the same "immaterial spirit" - referring to their psychological or mental identity.

For instance, if Person A has memories from 8 am to 12 pm, and Person B has memories from 12 pm to 4 pm, they would, at different times, possess the same consciousness or immaterial spirit. In this sense, Locke argues that personal identity is not solely reliant on having the same body, but rather the continuity of consciousness and memory.

It is important to note that this quote can be quite complex and may require familiarity with Locke's philosophical ideas. Exploring Locke's writings on personal identity and consciousness can provide a more thorough understanding of his view on the subject.