Where Am I By Dennett Analysis

It wouldn’t be correct to say that if Mary’s body had the original brain the she is Julia, but if Mary’s body had the duplicate then it’s not Julia. The problem is the body wouldn’t be able to tell which brain it had so picking one brain over the other would be wrong so in the end Mary is the one that survives and not Julia. Miller counters back on Weirob saying that personal identity allows one to know who they really are without having to look at their own bodies. Thus placing Julia’s brain inside Mary’s body it can tell it is Julia not by looking at her body because her body says otherwise but by the fact that it remembers being Julia, and has all of Julia’s memories, beliefs and ideas. Miller continues on with the fact that memories and personal psychological traits that a person has is what makes one unique not their body.

The book “SHATTERED” is about Hillary’s presidency campaign and the authors (Allen & Parnes) take note of that she saw herself, from the earliest starting point, as almost unsurpassable, even as she still could not seem to authoritatively run. She thought, they compose, that she had a meet with fate, and that her triumphant was practically foreordained. This state of mind, suggest the authors, would torment Hillary appropriate to the end. This is the sense in which this book “SHATTERED” is an account of brain science - the brain research of the decision class, which is exactly what the inevitable champ of the general race railed against for quite a long time.

So based on not having enough knowledge of psychosurgery and the brain, Freeman’s surgical procedures, based on his determination, was pretty good. One would feel, though, that how he went about it, how he performed the surgeries, and how the patients were treated based off the surgery and it’s tools that he was very inhumane and the procedure was shameful. After this, the lobotomy era did not last long. (Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science, April 8,

Socrates in the dialogue Alcibiades written by Plato provides an argument as to why the self is the soul rather than the body. In this dialogue Alcibiades and Socrates get into a discussion on how to cultivate the self which they both mutually agree is the soul, and how to make the soul better by properly taking care of it. One way Socrates describes the relationship between the soul and the body is by analogy of user and instrument, the former being the entity which has the power to affect the latter. In this paper I will explain Socrates’ arguments on why the self is the soul and I will comment on what it means to cultivate it.

Alan’s therapist, Crystal Mangir, also said “If Alan were in a wheelchair, or had a cast on his leg, people would understand that something happened… but no one can see a broken brain” (Crimmins 199). This mentality would show why after Alan regained his ability of movement, the insurance companies decided not to pay for Alan’s rehab therapy since he was no longer in need of therapy. After a traumatic brain injury it is very important to relearn the daily bases activity and in most cases physical therapy is the final step to complete physical recovery. This misunderstanding of brain injury was what Cathy Crimmins hoped to shed light on throughout this

Daniel Dennett is an American philosopher that wrote a science-fiction narrative in which his brain is removed from his body, but he is still alive. I will go into detail about how the actions in the story affected Dennett and provide insight on the questions it posed. Daniel Dennett’s “Where Am I?” is a famous philosophical science-fiction story where Dennett gets his brain removed. He then asks himself why is he conscious in his body and not in his brain. This causes multiple explanations and possible answers to arise.

Conclusion: The mind is substantively different from the body and indeed matter in general. Because in this conception the mind is substantively distinct from the body it becomes plausible for us to doubt the intuitive connection between mind and body. Indeed there are many aspects of the external world that do not appear to have minds and yet appear none the less real in spite of this for example mountains, sticks or lamps, given this we can begin to rationalize that perhaps minds can exist without bodies, and we only lack the capacity to perceive them.

Nonfiction Critique: Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science John Fleischman’s book, Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science published by the Houghton Mifflin Company in Boston in 2002, is an intriguing retelling of the almost unbelievable event that literally changed the man named Phineas Gage. The author reconstructions for the reader the events that transpire before and after an iron spear-like object is rocketed through the head of Phineas Gage and how the man recovers, but also does not. Fleischman expertly walks along the line of scientific fact and interest and gruesome detail. He uses the fascinating story of Phineas Gage to analyze and deconstruct a very detailed and complex science surrounding the human brain, and makes the material readable and accessible to a younger age bracket. The use of scientific terms paired with simplistic explanations and occasional parenthetical definitions aid in the understanding of the difficult content at hand.

In “A Dialogue on Personal Identity and Immortality”, Gretchen Weirob and Sam Miller conduct a philosophical debate about the possibility of a continued existence after death. Weirob argues that she herself cannot exist after death because her identity is composed of her body, rationality, and consciousness. In Derek Parfit’s “Personal Identity” he ponders how the concept of identity works, and how the true nature of our identity affects some of the most important questions we have about our existence. I believe that Velleman did a better job of exploring the idea of identity than Weirob did.

Throughout literature the constant theme of identity has been explored, with Northrop Frye even suggesting “the story of the loss and regaining of identity is, I think, the framework for all literature.” For characters, true identity isn’t always apparent, it needs to be searched for. Sometimes the inner struggle for identity stems from ones need for belonging. Whether one finds their sense of identity within friends, family, or in a physical “home”. It’s not always a place that defines identity.

If the soul cannot possibly begin when a person does, when and where else could the event take place? However, Darrow 's argument is impaired by his incongruous application of the term soul. He mentions that the soul is popularly equated with identity, consciousness and memory, but fails to specify whether it is this notion or another that he uses. (42) Presuming, for the sake of moving forward, that it is this definition he himself adopts, it seems directly in conflict with his belief that the soul would exist outside of the physical body. (43) Darrow 's argument lacks a clear explication of his concept of the soul and, furthermore, it presents a confusing, contradictory account of the soul 's nature and

The identity a person holds is one of the most important aspects of their lives. Identity is what distinguishes people from others, although it leaves a negative stereotype upon people. In the short story Identities by W.D Valgardson, a middle-aged wealthy man finds himself lost in a rough neighborhood while attempting to look for something new. The author employs many elements in the story, some of the more important ones being stereotype and foreshadow. For many people, their personal identity is stereotyped by society.

In the Brave New World, a book written by Aldous Huxley,, he writes about a utopian future where humans are genetically created and pharmaceutically anthesized. Huxley introduces three ideals which become the world's state motto. The motto that is driven into their dystopian society is “Community, Identity and Stability.” These are qualities that are set to structure the Brave New World. Yet, happen to contradict themselves throughout the story.

Throughout this paper, I will use various sources to discuss the philosophical themes of consciousness and identity. These sources include, course readings, class discussions and two news articles. One of which has been written by Clay Dillion regarding a futuristic theme concerning the possibility of uploading our consciousness into a robotic medium. The other was written by Zoltan Istvan and investigates the possibility of artificial alien intelligence. I will also critically evaluate each argument in order to highlight any philosophical problems which may be present.

Derek Parfit is a British philosopher who specialises in problems of personal identity and he proposes that we separate the notions of identity and survival. He is one of the most prominent philosophers in the struggle to define the self. Parfit’s 1971 essay “Personal Identity” targets two common beliefs which are central to the earliest conversations about personal identity. The first belief is about the nature of personal identity; all questions regarding this must have an answer. Between now and any future time, it is either the case that “I shall exist or I shall not”.