Open AccessA Survey of Folk Intuitions about the Physical Criterion of Personal Identity among Some Philosophically Laypeople
Author(s) -
Makotoka Kahaka,
Baampatlha Dinama
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
cross-currents
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2394-451X
DOI - 10.36344/ccijhss.2018.v04i05.006
Subject(s) - personal identity , identity (music) , social psychology , psychology , overtime , epistemology , experimental philosophy , philosophical methodology , self concept , law , philosophy , aesthetics , political science
The paper attempts to answer the question whether some of the views and theories on personal identity proposed and debated by professional philosophers is supported by ordinary intuitions. Rather than using the traditional conceptual analysis method of philosophy also known as the armchair method, the paper relies on an experimental method using a questionnaire to investigate ordinary beliefs and conceptions of philosophically laypeople about what constitute personal identity overtime. This was done by seeking the opinion of some members of the lay-public on some of the main claims of common theories on personal identity, thereby determining whether the said theories are intuitive to most laypersons or not. With respect to the physical criterion of personal identity, empirical testing shows that the theories under this criterion are not nearly as intuitive as some of its proponents commonly assume, which then makes it difficult to adopt them as the means through which personal identity overtime can be explained and understood.