What makes a same person over time according to Thomas Reid.
I know that for locke, a same person over time means that your personal idenity and consciousness stay the same. Like you can cut a hand off, but you are still the same person.
I read all the website online, but I could find Reid's arguments against locke. I want to know what Reid thought of what makes a same person over time?
According to Thomas Reid, a Scottish philosopher, the concept of personal identity over time differs from John Locke's view. While Locke believed that personal identity is derived from a continuity of consciousness, Reid challenged this perspective.
Reid argued that personal identity cannot solely rely on the continuity of consciousness because a person's consciousness is not directly observable or accessible to anyone else. He contested that there is no logical connection between having continuity of consciousness and being the same person over time. Reid regarded subjective experiences, such as memories or consciousness, as unreliable indicators of personal identity.
Instead, Reid proposed that personal identity is based on what he called "sameness of the person." He argued that personal identity can be determined by a collection of attributes and characteristics that are connected by a continuous physical chain. This physical chain can involve features like the body, temperament, habits, and natural abilities. For Reid, personal identity is rooted in the physical continuity of a person's being rather than their consciousness alone.
In summary, while Locke believed that personal identity relies on having continuity of consciousness, Reid disagreed and proposed that personal identity is determined by the physical continuity of a person's characteristics and attributes.
Thomas Reid was a Scottish philosopher who had a different view than John Locke on what defines a same person over time. According to Reid, personal identity is not determined solely by consciousness or memory, as Locke proposed. Reid argued that personal identity is grounded in what he called "the principle of sameness."
To understand Reid's perspective, you need to consider his concept of the self. Reid believed that each person has a natural and instinctive belief in their own continued existence. This belief arises from our fundamental perception of ourselves as persisting entities over time. Reid argued that this sense of personal identity is not based on memory or consciousness but is an intuitive and direct perception of the self.
Reid critiqued Locke's view by pointing out that memory and consciousness can be flawed and unreliable. If personal identity were solely dependent on memory, then a person who suffers from amnesia or memory loss would cease to exist as the same person. Reid believed that this contradicts our ordinary experiences and our sense of self.
Instead, Reid proposed that personal identity is rooted in the principle of sameness, which he characterized as a natural and essential property of the mind. According to Reid, the mind has a unifying principle that persists and remains the same throughout a person's life. While our thoughts, memories, and experiences may change, there is an underlying sameness that defines our personal identity.
In summary, Reid disagreed with Locke's emphasis on memory and consciousness as the basis for personal identity. Instead, Reid argued that personal identity is grounded in the principle of sameness, which is an innate and intuitive belief in our own continued existence as persisting entities over time.