25th Annual Student Research Conference
Personal Identity and the Soul
Sehar R. Reshamwala
Dr. Chad Mohler, Faculty Mentor
In John Perry's "A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality" Sam Miller and Gretchen Weirob argue whether or not the soul is essential to personal identity. Gretchen argues that we cannot identify souls, so they cannot play a central role in our conceptions of personal identity. Contesting this, her friend Sam argues that a person's soul is identifiable to us through the person's observable behavioral traits. However, if a gradual or drastic change in behavior occurs how are we still able to identify the person? Sam does not account for changes in the person's behavior. Expanding upon Sam's arguments, I refute Gretchen's arguments about the unidentifiablity of the soul and argue that we can still identify a person after a change in behavior if we have observed that change take place. The concept of personal identity is not static and accounts for changes and evolution in a persons soul.
Keywords:
Topic(s):Philosophy & Religion
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 208-2
Location: MG 1000
Time: 9:45