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Full Idea
In the case of the man who, like an amoeba, divides….we can suggest that he survives as two different people without implying that he is those people.
Gist of Idea
If we split like amoeba, we would be two people, neither of them being us
Source
Derek Parfit (Personal Identity [1971], §1)
Book Ref
'Personal Identity', ed/tr. Perry,John [University of California 1975], p.203
A Reaction
Maybe an amoeba is a homogeneous substance for which splitting is insignificant, but when a person has certain parts that are totally crucial, splitting them is catastrophic, and quite different. I'm not sure that splitting a self would leave persons.
| 7110 | If the 'I' is transcendental, it unnecessarily splits consciousness in two [Sartre] |
| 3246 | I can't even conceive of my brain being split in two [Nagel] |
| 1392 | If we split like amoeba, we would be two people, neither of them being us [Parfit] |
| 5519 | It is fine to save two dying twins by merging parts of their bodies into one, and identity is irrelevant [Parfit] |
| 5520 | If two humans are merged surgically, the new identity is a purely verbal problem [Parfit] |