The big idea: Point at yourself. What are you pointing at — a body, or the mind inside it? Personal identity starts here: what kind of thing is the 'you' that has to stay the same?
The two main candidates
1
The body view
You are your living body, or your brain. You go where it goes.
2
The mind / self view
You are your mind — your thoughts, memories and point of view. The body is just its home.
Body ↔ Mind
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Neither view is obviously right. The best way to test them is to ask what each must say about strange but revealing cases.
Checkpoint: Before the next view: notice the test. We imagine mind and body coming apart and ask 'where did you go?' Your answer reveals which view you hold.
Body view
- Strength: simple, fits biology
- Strength: never relies on shaky memory
- Weakness: the body-swap case
- Weakness: your cells fully replace over time
Mind / self view
- Strength: fits the feeling that you are your inner life
- Strength: handles the body-swap case
- Weakness: what is a mind, exactly?
- Weakness: we forget huge parts of our lives