PERSONAL IDENTITY AND THE SELF

Philosophy 736-232-002

University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee Spring 2008

Course Description

In this course we will investigate what philosophy can tell us about our distinctive nature as persons. What makes us the particular persons that we are and how is this identity preserved in time?  Is the biological death of the body also the death of the person?  Does each of us have something as a unique and unified `self'?  Is this self the object of introspection?  Does our existence amount to the existence of the self?

In the first part of the course, we will discuss what makes a person the same individual as time goes by. Does personal identity depend on the continuity of memories, beliefs and psychological traits?  Or does it rather depend on the continuity of the body?  Or is it a matter of the persistence of an immortal and immaterial soul?  In discussing these questions, particular attention will be devoted to the treatment of cases where continued personhood is uncertain (like brain bisection experiments, amnesia, multiple personality disorder, schizophrenia, and science fiction cases like "Star Trek" style teletransporter or body exchanges). We will then consider the implications of theories of personal identity for understanding what counts as the death of a person. In the second part of the course, we will look at the implications of theories of personal identity for the idea of the ‘self’. We will discuss issues about the unity of the self, self-deception and the nature of self-knowledge. We will read works of contemporary philosophers in the analytic tradition.

REQUIRED TEXTS

 

D. Dennett, "Where Am I?" in Hofstadter, Dennett, The Mind's I, pp. 217-231 http://www.uwm.edu/Library/ERES/ferrero/PHILOS232.html	R Eres
J. Perry, A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality. Hackett, 1978	R B
O. Sacks, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. Chapter 2: The Lost Mariner http://www.uwm.edu/Library/ERES/ferrero/PHILOS232.html	Eres
J.F. Rosenberg, Thinking Clearly About Death (TCAD), 2nd ed. Hackett, 19982 http://www.uwm.edu/Library/ERES/ferrero/PHILOS232.html	Eres
A. Clark, Natural-Born Cyborgs, Oxford University Press, 2003 http://www.uwm.edu/Library/ERES/ferrero/PHILOS232.html	Eres
D. Dennett & N. Humphrey, "Speaking for Ourselves," in Brainchildren   http://www.humphrey.org.uk/papers/1989MPD.pdf	I
Nagel "Brain Bisection and the Unity of Consciousness" in Mortal Questions ch. 11 http://www.uwm.edu/Library/ERES/ferrero/PHILOS232.html	Eres
D. Dennett "The Origins of Selves" http://ase.tufts.edu/cogstud/papers/originss.htm	I
D. Dennett, "The Self as a Center of Narrative Gravity," http://ase.tufts.edu/cogstud/papers/selfctr.htm	I
D. Velleman "The Self as Narrator" http://www.uwm.edu/Library/ERES/ferrero/PHILOS232.html	I
M. Midgley "Persons and Non-Persons" http://www.animal-rights-library.com/texts-m/midgley01.htm	I
V. Hearne Adam's Task: Calling Animals by Name Ch. 3 http://www.uwm.edu/Library/ERES/ferrero/PHILOS232.html	Eres
H. Frankfurt,  "Freedom of the Will and the Concept of a Person" Journal of Philosophy, 68 (1971), 5-20	I
D. Dennett "Conditions of Personhood" in Brainstorms, Ch. 14 http://www.uwm.edu/Library/ERES/ferrero/PHILOS232.html	Eres
Nagel "Death" Noûs, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Feb., 1970), pp. 73-80	I
B. Williams "The Makropulos Case" in Problems of the Self ch. 6 http://www.uwm.edu/Library/ERES/ferrero/PHILOS232.html	Eres

Supplementary Readings

Readings marked with B are available at the  Peoples Books, 2122 E Locust St , (414) 962-0575
Readings marked with I are available on the internet
Readings marked with R are on Reserve at the Golda Meir Library
Readings marked with Eres are on Electronic Reserve at the Golda Meir Library

N.B. You are required to read the assigned texts before attending the lecture

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SCHEDULE OF TOPICS AND READINGS

 

Date	Lecture	Topic	Readings	Assignments
1/22	I	Presentation of the course, syllabus and grading policy		Take the Staying Alive test at http://www.philosophers.co.uk/games/identity.htm
1/24	II	"Where am I?"	Dennett "Where Am I?" D.H. Sanford "Where was I?" (optional)
1/29	III	First Night	Perry Dialogue I
1/31	IV
2/5>	V	Second Night	Perry Dialogue II Sacks "The Lost Mariner"
2/7	VI
2/12	VII	Summary and Review
2/14	VIII	TEST IN CLASS		TEST IN CLASS
2/19	IX	Third Night	Perry Dialogue III
2/21	X	The Soul and the Body	Rosenberg TCAD pp. 56-89 (2.1-2.11)
2/26	XI	The Body and the Mind	Clark Natural Born Cyborg     pp. 89-95, 99-108, 113-114
2/28	XII
3/4	XIII	Unity and Disunity	Nagel "Brain Bisection and the Unity of Consciousness"
3/6	XIV	Multiple Personality Disorder	Dennett "Speaking for Ourselves"
3/11	XV	Summary and Review
3/13	XVI	TEST IN CLASS		TEST IN CLASS
----	----	SPRING BREAK
3/25	XVII	Narrative Unity	Dennett "The Origin of Selves" Clark Natural Born Cyborg   pp. 115-119, 130-142
3/27	XVIII		Dennett "The Center of Narrative Gravity" Velleman "The Self as Narrator"
4/1	XIX
4/3	XX	Persons & Personhood	Rosenberg TCAD pp. 166-181 (5.3.5.6) Mary Midgley, "Persons and Non-Persons" Vicki Hearne Adam's Task: Calling Animals by Name. Ch. 3
4/8	XXI
4/10	XXII		Dennett "Conditions of Personhood"
4/15	XXIII	Summary and Review
4/17	XXIV	TEST IN CLASS		TEST IN CLASS
4/22	XXV		Frankfurt "Freedom of Will and the Concept of a Person"
4/24	XXVI	Death 1	Nagel "Death" Rosenberg TCAD Ch. 10 Luper "Death"
4/29	XXVII	Death 2	Williams "The Makropulos Case"
5/1	XXVIII	-- Slack-
5/6	XIX	Summary and Review
5/8	XXX	TEST IN CLASS		TEST IN CLASS

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ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING POLICY**

• Attendance to lectures and writing workshops is mandatory
  
• PAPERS MUST BE SUBMITTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CLASS BY THE DEADLINES indicated above. All late papers will be marked 1 grade down for each day or portion thereof that they are late, including weekends and holidays (for instance, if a paper is due on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. and it is turned in on Wed at 5.00 p.m., it will be penalized two full grades). The penalty applies BOTH to the first and the final draft of each paper (e.g., if you turn both the first and the final draft one day late, your will be penalized 2 full grades).
  
• In order to pass this course you MUST COMPLETE ALL assignments. You must take the in-class tests, participate in the writing workshops, and turn in both papers.

  click here to see the GRADING GUIDELINES

Please note that PLAGIARISM is a serious instance of Academic Misconduct

Plagiarism includes:

1. Directly quoting the words of others without using quotation marks or indented format to identify them; or,
2. Using sources of information (published or unpublished) without identifying them; or,
3. Paraphrasing materials or ideas of others without identifying the sources.

UWM Policy concerning Plagiarism is available at http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/OSL/DOS/conduct.html

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Academic Misconduct Policy: see http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/OSL/DOS/conduct.html

Drop/Audit Policy: Students will be allowed to drop the course up through the last day permitted by the Registrar. Likewise, students may elect to audit the course up through the last day permitted by the Registrar

Grievance and Appeals Policy: The Department of Philosophy has procedures for handling student grievance and grade-appeals. Information is available in the Department office, 612 Curtin Hall

Special Assistance: If you need special assistance, please contact me the first day of class

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