Chapter 05 of 5
The Narrative Ego
Synthesizing the paradox into theories of psychological and legal identity.
- Conceptual Pivot
Beyond the Planks
If physical matter doesn't define identity, we must look toward the internal architecture of the mind. The 'self' might not be a ship at all, but the captain's log.
- John Locke's View
The Psychological Chain
Philosopher John Locke argued that identity isn't in the bones, but in memory. You are the same person as long as you can remember your past experiences.
- Theory Limit
The Amnesia Gap
Locke's theory faces a hurdle: if you forget your childhood, are you no longer the child who lived it? The chain of identity breaks where memory fails.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
Which philosopher proposed the 'Bundle Theory,' suggesting the self is merely a collection of shifting perceptions?
⛵ The Ship of Theseus: The Paradox of Identity
- 01The Docks of AthensExamine the foundational paradox of gradual replacement and persistence.
- 02The Scavenger's DilemmaHobbes introduces a second ship built from the discarded original planks.
- 03The Biological ShipApply the paradox to the human body and the constant cycle of cellular death.
- 04The Teletransporter ParadoxA deep dive into Parfit’s experiment on digital replication and destruction.
- 05The Narrative EgoSynthesizing the paradox into theories of psychological and legal identity.