John locke on personal identity.
Namita Nimbalkar
Mens Sana Monographs 2011 DOI: 10.4103/0973-1229.77443 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Memory Consciousness Self Personal identity Survival after death |
| Key points | Argues that Locke holds personal identity to consist in psychological continuity, founded on consciousness (specifically memory), rather than in the substance of the soul or the body, and that this criterion specifies the conditions for a person's survival through time and after death. |
Abstract
John Locke speaks of personal identity and survival of consciousness after death. A criterion of personal identity through time is given. Such a criterion specifies, insofar as that is possible, the necessary and sufficient conditions for the survival of persons. John Locke holds that personal identity is a matter of psychological continuity. He considered personal identity (or the self) to be founded on consciousness (viz. memory), and not on the substance of either the soul or the body.