Personal Identity and the Soul

Paper Summary:

This paper explores two possible ways of reaching the concept of the soul as a constituent or determiner of personal identity; a) as a result of empirical evidence, and b) as an assumption on which a theory of personal identity can be built. Both pose problems for the soul criterion of personal identity. Firstly, the paper argues that a posteriori concept of the soul is invariably tied to psycho-physical continuity, making the soul useless in determining identity beyond the scope of psychological and physical analyses of personal identity over time. Secondly, the paper suggests that an a priori definition of the soul constitutes ad hoc for the personal identity problem. Finally, the paper assesses whether a sensible view of the soul might be reached through the theory of subjective or "flexible" survival and the use of faith rather than logic.

Outline:
A Posteriori Soul
A Priori Soul
Desire and the Unobservable
Conclusions

From the Paper:

"The position against unobservability can be found through faith. Theists could make the claim that even though God cannot be observed through the senses, we can be aware of its existence and perhaps even its nature. Why, then, should we be oblivious to the nature of the soul, if it seems to have similar properties? This could be explained in terms of a "sixth sense", a kind of "soul detector". The claim of being able to perceive "auras" or "spirits" are not uncommon, albeit usually discredited. A case could be put forward in which "faith" is the inherent quality that human beings have to observe or experience otherwise unobservable things. This view, however, leans towards ad hoc. Nonetheless, the claim that belief in the soul criterion, as is the case with the belief in God, is a matter of faith and not of logic is widely held, particularly by religious people."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bennett, J. 1967, "The Simplicity of the Soul", The Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 64, No. 20, pp. 648-660.
• Chisholm, R. M. 1991, "On the Simplicity of the Soul", Philosophical Perspectives, Vol. 5, Philosophy of Religion, pp. 167-181.
• Locke, J., Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Ed. Yolton. New York, Everyman's Library (1961), Book II, Ch. xxvii, I.
• Merricks, T. 1999, "Endurance, Psychological Continuity, and the Importance of Personal Identity", Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Vol. 59, No. 4, pp. 983-997.
• Noonan, H. 1978, "Locke on Personal Identity", Philosophy, Vol. 53, No. 205, pp. 343-351.

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