Ep. 261: Derek Parfit on Personal Identity (Part One)

<p>On Reasons and Persons (1984), ch. 10-13. What makes a person persist over time?</p> <p>After using various sci-fi examples to test the Lockean (personhood=psychological continuity), physicalist (same brain=same person), and Cartesian (same soul=same person) theories, Parfit concludes that the whole notion is incoherent and isn't actually what we care about when wondering "will I die?"</p> <p>Part two of this episode is only going to be available to you if you sign up at <a href="partiallyexaminedlife.com/support">partiallyexaminedlife.com/support</a>. <a href="https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2021/01/18/ep261-2-parfit-citizen/">Get it now</a> or <a href="https://partiallyexaminedlife.com/preview-ep-261-2-parfit/">listen to a preview</a>.</p> <p>Sponsors: Visit <a href="http://thegreatcoursesplus.com/PEL">TheGreatCoursesPlus.com/PEL</a> for a free trial and $30 off an annual plan of The Great Courses Plus Video Learning Service. Organize your Inbox: Get a free trial and save $25 at <a href="https://sanebox.com/pel">sanebox.com/pel</a>. See <a href="https://www.headspace.com/code?code=PEL">headspace.com/PEL</a> for a free month of guided meditations. Start a new monthly donation and have your first matched up to $250 at <a href="https://givewell.org/PEL">givewell.org/PEL</a> (choose podcast and partially examined life at checkout). Learn about St. John's College at <a href="https://www.sjc.edu/">SJC.edu</a>.</p>