Communications in Humanities Research
- The Open Access Proceedings Series for Conferences
Vol. 18, 07 December 2023
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
This article delves into the complexities of personal identity by exploring philosophical and psychological theories. It introduces John Locke’s idea that personal identity is constructed through consciousness and memory, where each experience contributes to a coherent self when pieced together. However, the “Ship of Theseus” paradox raises questions about maintaining core identity amidst systematic transformations. The psychological perspective emphasizes the role of memory and learning in shaping an individual’s self-perception. The narrative also underscores the significance of neurological functions, acting as conductors orchestrating cognition, behavior, and emotions to form a unique personal identity. The article further discusses enduring aspects of selfhood, considering biological, psychological, and social dimensions, including genetic makeup, personality traits, memories, and social interactions. It highlights the interplay of continuity and change, illustrating how personal identity maintains a consistent essence while evolving. The synthesis suggests that personal identity is like a symphony, blending continuity and change into a harmonious composition. Empirical evidence and case studies support the enduring nature of personal identity, asserting that fundamental aspects of the self persist from childhood into adulthood. The article concludes by acknowledging that the exploration of personal identity and continuity remains an ongoing journey, continually inviting scholarly inquiry.
philosophy, childhood, adulthood, identity personal
1. Gallagher, S., Philosophical Conceptions of the Self: Implications for Cognitive Science, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 14–21.
2. Forstrom, K. J. S., John Locke and Personal Identity: Immortality and Bodily Resurrection in 17th-Century Philosophy, from http://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BB02167267, 2010.
3. Nielsen, N., Wetterslev, J., Cronberg, T., Erlinge, D., Gasche, Y., Hassager, C., Horn, J., et al., Targeted Temperature Management at 33°C versus 36°C after Cardiac Arrest, The New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 369, no. 23, pp.2197–2206, from https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa1310519, December 5, 2013. DOI: 10.1056/nejmoa1310519
4. Richert, R. A. and Harris, P. L., Dualism Revisited: Body vs. Mind vs. Soul, Journal of Cognition and Culture, vol. 8, no. 1–2, pp. 99–115, from https://doi.org/10.1163/156770908x289224, January 1, 2008. DOI: 10.1163/156770908x289224
5. Kohn, W. and Sham, L. J., Self-Consistent Equations Including Exchange and Correlation Effects, Physical Review, vol. 140, no. 4A, pp. A1133–38, from https://doi.org/10.1103/physrev.140.a1133, November 15, 1965. DOI: 10.1103/physrev.140.a1133
6. Leland, W. E., Taqqu, M. S., Willinger, W. and Wilson, D. N., On the Self-Similar Nature of Ethernet Traffic (Extended Version), IEEE ACM Transactions on Networking, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 1–15, from https://doi.org/10.1109/90.282603,January 1, 1994. DOI: 10.1109/90.282603
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Authors who publish this series agree to the following terms:
1. Authors retain copyright and grant the series right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this series.
2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the series's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this series.
3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See Open Access Instruction).