Psychological Continuity Essay

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In this paper, I will argue the idea that if the teleportation technology was to exist and I used it, then it would still be me who arrives in New York. To articulate this point I will use Derek Parfit’s ideas of psychological continuity. In order to achieve this I will use Parfits idea to establish what I believe makes one unique, or what composes their identity. I will use Parfit’s idea of psychological continuity as a way to define what the I is (which is the same way he uses it), and how problems may arise with the teleportation problem. Ultimately I will conclude that in most cases psychological continuity usually represents identity. It is beneficial to define what I believe makes a person who they are, or what I believe identity is. I would agree with Parfit on his use of the idea of …show more content…

If every single atom in my body were to be reassembled in the same unique way that I am assembled now, then I would argue that I would be the same person. Even though I may be composed of different atoms from which I was originally made of, it would still be me. Particular atoms should not define who someone is, but the structure and layout of these atoms are the indicators of identity. In the body, materials (proteins, cells etc.) are always being broken down and rebuilt constantly cycling through different atoms. To support this idea, consider this: am I the same person that I was yesterday? Maybe not temporally (perhaps I had an epiphany), but I would still be me, at least from my perspective. In my opinion, it is absurd to say that I am not the same person I was yesterday, even despite the potential personality change. Why would I say that in terms of identity I am different from who I was yesterday? It is the same subject because of psychological

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