The extreme claim, psychological continuity and the person life view
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Date
2015
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Philosophical Society of Southern Africa
Abstract
Marya Schechtman has raised a series of worries for the Psychological Continuity
Theory of personal identity (PCT) stemming from what Derek Parfit called the
'Extreme Claim'. This is roughly the claim that theories like it are unable to explain
the importance we attach to personal identity. In her recent Staying Alive (2014),
she presents further arguments related to this and sets out a new narrative theory,
the Person Life View (PLV), which she sees as solving the problems as well as
bringing other advantages over the PCT. I look over some of her earlier arguments
and responses to them as a way in to the new issues and theory. I will argue that the
problems for the PCT and advantages that the PLV brings are all merely apparent, and
present no reason for giving up the former for the latter.
Description
Keywords
Psychological Continuity Theory (PCT), Personal Life View (PLV), Philosophy
Citation
Beck, S. (2015). The extreme claim, psychological continuity and the person life view. South African Journal of Philosophy, 34(3): 314-322