more from this thinker | more from this text
Full Idea
The superfluous transcendental 'I' is actually a hindrance. If it existed, it would violently separate consciousness from itself, it would divide it, slicing through consciousness like an opaque blade.
Gist of Idea
If the 'I' is transcendental, it unnecessarily splits consciousness in two
Source
Jean-Paul Sartre (Transcendence of the Ego [1937], I (A))
Book Ref
Sartre,Jean-Paul: 'The Transcendence of the Ego' [Routledge 2004], p.7
A Reaction
I see no a priori reason why consciousness should not be split in two, if that's how it is. Personally I am happy with a fairly traditional Cartesian view, that the self is the will and understanding, and the rest of consciousness is its working material.
| 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] |