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Full Idea
I suggest that persons are selves - that is, they are subjects of experience which have the capacity to recognised themselves as being individual subjects of experience; selves possess reflexive self-knowledge.
Gist of Idea
Persons are selves - subjects of experience, with reflexive self-knowledge
Source
E.J. Lowe (Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind [2000], Ch.10)
Book Ref
Lowe,E.J.: 'Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind' [CUP 2000], p.264
A Reaction
I would express this as 'a capacity for meta-thought'. I increasingly see that as the hallmark of homo sapiens, and the key quality I look for in assessing the intelligence of aliens. Very intelligent people are exceptionally self-aware.
| 1400 | Some cause must unite the separate temporal sections of a person [Descartes] |
| 5512 | Locke uses 'self' for a momentary entity, and 'person' for an extended one [Locke, by Martin/Barresi] |
| 1202 | A person is intelligent, rational, self-aware, continuous, conscious [Locke] |
| 4042 | Metaphysics requires the idea of people (speakers) located in space and time [Davidson] |
| 3238 | 'Dead person' isn't a contradiction, so 'person' is somewhat vague [Williams,B] |
| 3239 | You can only really love a person as a token, not as a type [Williams,B] |
| 20618 | Persons must be conscious, reasoning, motivated, communicative, self-aware [Warren, by Tuckness/Wolf] |
| 4669 | Persons are conscious, they relate, they think, they feel, and they are self-aware [Glover] |
| 6665 | Persons are selves - subjects of experience, with reflexive self-knowledge [Lowe] |