Identity in Limbo

Abstract

To answer the question of personal identity, philosophers generally examine two possible criteria: the criterion of continuity of memory and the criterion of continuity of body. Some argue that personal identity is independent of the body and that all that is needed to account for personal identity is the continuity of memory. Others, however, argue that continuity of memory alone is an insufficient criterion for personal identity; they maintain that humans intuitively value their physical make-up to such an extent that a criterion of continuity of body must also be taken into account. In this essay, I will examine and weigh important arguments from both camps and show how personal identity requires something much more than either criterion on its own. I will argue, then, that both memory and body are crucial elements of personal identity. Further, I will illustrate how, in some cases, human intuition gives emphasis to memory over body and, in other cases, body over memory.