Single Idea 17576

[catalogued under 27. Natural Reality / G. Biology / 2. Life]

Full Idea

If God were to 'reassemble' the atoms that composed me ten years ago, the resulting organism would certainly not be me.

Gist of Idea

If God were to 'reassemble' my atoms of ten years ago, the result would certainly not be me

Source

Peter van Inwagen (Material Beings [1990], 13)

Book Reference

Inwagen,Peter van: 'Material Beings' [Cornell 1995], p.140


A Reaction

What is obvious to Van Inwagen is not obvious to me. He thinks lives are special. Such examples just leave us bewildered about what counts as 'the same', because our concept of sameness wasn't designed to deal with such cases.