180026 PS Theory & Ethics of Personal Identity (2024S)

Once upon a time, there was a small, baby-shaped block of organic matter, that would go on to become you, being held by your parent(s) for the first time. Now, there is an adult-human-shaped block of organic matter reading this. In the future, there will be an elderly-human-shaped block of organic matter enjoying their retirement, who is the person you will become. These three organic blocks are the same person. Why are they the same person? What makes some particular human-shaped block you, as opposed to some other? Could you stop being you if, for instance, you had a brain transplant? Or what if you lost many of your memories?

These kinds of questions are not merely theoretical, they are of huge ethical importance. If you now know some future-you will have Alzheimer's, does this give you the right to make decisions for your future self? Should you make decisions based on your current desires or those of your future self? What is the earliest part of your organic development that is really you?

Theory & Ethics of Personal Identity provides an introduction to the main theories of personal identity and the considerations counting for and against them. In the second half of the course, these theories are applied to a series of ethical cases in which issues of personal identity are relevant and impactful: advanced directives, dissociative identity disorder and abortion.

Aside from being interesting and relevant in and of itself, the topic of the ethics of personal identity serves as a bridge between questions in theoretical and practical philosophy. It demonstrates the relevance of (some) theoretical questions to practical ethical concerns. Whilst this is primarily an ethics course, it also serves to connect ethics to the more theoretical parts of your studies.

Note: We are going to discuss a number of emotionally loaded ethical topics in this course. As part of the course we will have a discussion about how to discuss topics like these in a safe and productive manner. By signing up to this course you are agreeing to be respectful and considerate of your classmates during discussions on emotional issues and to abide by group rules around these discussions.