Power Structuralism in Ancient Ontologies The Persistence of Animate Organisms
Aug 23, 2013
Rory Madden, a Lecturer in Philosophy at University College London specializing in metaphysics, delves into the intricacies of personal identity concerning animate organisms. He challenges conventional views by arguing that our identity is fundamentally tied to being biological entities. The discussion spans thought experiments about brain transplants and identity persistence amid physical changes. Madden innovatively uses fission and fusion analogies to redefine identity, suggesting that both psychological and biological perspectives can coexist in understanding who we are.
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Animalism Can Support Brain-Based Intuitions
- Madden argues that two attractive theses in the personal identity debate are compatible rather than mutually exclusive.
- He claims animalism (we are biological organisms) can support brain-based survival intuitions about cerebrum cases.
Persistence As Preservation Of Capacities
- Madden presents a persistence schema: continuants persist if sufficient capacities for kind-characteristic activity are preserved along a dominant path.
- This links identity to preserved functional capacities rather than mere material continuity.
Psychology Is Part Of Biological Persistence
- Madden applies the persistence schema to human animals: we persist when enough human-animal characteristic capacities are preserved.
- Psychological capacities count as biological capacities relevant to organism persistence.