Full Idea
In Locke's doctrine, personal identity is confounded with the evidence which we have of our personal identity.
Gist of Idea
Locke confuses the test for personal identity with the thing itself
Source
comment on John Locke (Essay Conc Human Understanding (2nd Ed) [1694], 2.27.10) by Thomas Reid - Essays on Intellectual Powers 3: Memory Ch 6
Book Reference
'Personal Identity', ed/tr. Perry,John [University of California 1975], p.115
A Reaction
A clever criticism. Compare Idea 5424. I think I agree. If Locke says I have continuous consciousness, and Parfit says it is all I care about, this needs explaining. How do we explain the fact that I care about my past and my future?
Related Idea
Idea 5424 Coherence is not the meaning of truth, but an important test for truth [Russell]