Volume-X, Issue-V, September 2024 |
Problems of Personal Identity: A Critical Study from the Aspect of Metaphysics Saniya Dhar, Research Scholar, Department of Philosophy, Diamond Harbour Women's University, West Bengal, India |
Received: 20.09.2024 | Accepted: 26.09.2024 | Published Online: 30.09.2024 | Page No:221-226 | ||||
DOI: 10.29032/ijhsss.vol.10.issue.05W.023 | |||||||
ABSTRACT | ||
In the history of philosophy, there exist various discussions on personal identity. Though, we do not usually raise questions on this in our daily life. In Indian philosophy, only the Buddhist school of philosophy has discussed personal identity distinctly, whereas in the rest of the schools, the discussions of personal identity are entwined with other discussions. The differences of opinions that arise from the questions regarding personal identity are - which criterion needs to be fulfilled for a person to be the same in the past and the present? What is the criterion of personhood? When does an entity become a person? How to distinguish between a person and a non-person? - These questions, however similar they may seem in the naked eye, are of different matters. Whenever we try to find the way to know the criterion to become a person, or how a person is the same person in two different times, we actually pose the question epistemologically. Again when we try to understand what we mean by having personhood, or what is essential for a person to remain the same in different times, we pose the questions metaphysically. I will discuss personal identity from metaphysical aspects. I will primarily try to find which criterion needs to be fulfilled for a person to remain the same continuously for a time being. Since I will only focus on the criterion, not how to know whether the criterion is sufficient, this is not an epistemological discussion. Keywords: Person, Personal Identity, Metaphysics, Epistemology, Criterion, Thought Experiment. |