Single Idea 7546

[catalogued under 16. Persons / D. Continuity of the Self / 2. Mental Continuity / b. Self as mental continuity]

Full Idea

The real man, I believe, however the police may swear to his identity, is really a series of momentary men, each different one from the other, and bound together, not by a numerical identity, but by continuity and certain instrinsic causal laws.

Gist of Idea

A man is a succession of momentary men, bound by continuity and causation

Source

Bertrand Russell (The Ultimate Constituents of Matter [1915], p.124)

Book Reference

Russell,Bertrand: 'Mysticism and Logic' [Unwin 1989], p.124


A Reaction

This seems to be in the tradition of Locke and Parfit, and also follows the temporal-slices idea of physical objects. Personally I take a more physical view of things, and think the police are probably more reliable than Bertrand Russell.