Perry’s Dialogue

In Perrys Dialogue, he introduces three fictional characters to explore the purpose of soulfulnessal identity element. This topic arises as the character, Gretchen Weirob, lays on her deathbed seeking consolation from her friend, Sam milling machine, and causation student, Dave Cohen, to discuss the speculation of her choice aft(prenominal) death. Weirobs view is that people ar identified by their bodies and that their continued introduction relies on the macrocosm of their vivification bodies (Perry, 319).In this paper, I give argue on behalf of her st altogether approaching individual(prenominal) identity finished Lockes retention theory utilize the character that real recollection dissolve only be associated with the eubstance experiencing it. in the flesh(predicate) identity has proven to be a very controversial topic in this dialogue. By the second night, it was argued to be defined nevery by the bodily existence nor the existence of an immaterial soul (3 20). Instead, identity is approached by the concept of mortal-stages (322).This idea implies that a soul lives in consecutive stretches of intelligence connected in a licit manner. In this case, each stretch of sense indicates the each thoughts and emotions experienced by a mortal at a given moment in time (322). This leads to the retentiveness Theory of psycheal identity, which Miller suggested concord to his readings on Locke. It basically states that all the ultimo blushts occurring at bottom this stream of sentience forms retrospect and our psycheal identity consists of the compendium of fund that great deal be traced linearly with it (322).Weirob was non adapted to find each flaws in this theory. However, m both flaws would surface with bring out the interrogatory of what constitutes as shop? Weirob brings up the parity of real and observ fitted memory due(p) to the scuttle of deception where a person may seems to come back (323) something entire ly inaccurate. genuine memory is wherefore defined as an experience cal guide by the person who was get at the time of that experience(324).Appargonnt memory is when soulfulness seems to hatch but was not in reality present at the experience in question (324). In the end, the real remember is the hotshot whose memories were caused in the right diverseness of way (324) which led Weirob to conclude that a person is certain sort of causal process. (324) This continued to post her flavour that ain identity is coexistent with bodily doggedness as all her memories were formed by the actions and ace activity of her body. With a nip of ngenuity, Miller was fit to dispute her belief that individualised identity lies solely deep d induce the confines of bodily identify by stating that unrivalled apprise identify his/herself without mental test of his or her physical body (320). He says that a person is able to sex up and realize that they are the person they were the day before, prior to opening his/her eyes. He further proves this using Kafkas Metamorphosis, which involves the exercise of someone waking up in the body of a cockroach (320). This person steady maintains the sameness of person scorn the difference of body.Earlier on, Weirob had brought up the case of anticipation. She had conclude that in order for her to accept the peradventure of life afterward death, she must desire that she disregard exist in some other form in which she would be able to anticipate the experiences of her future self and remember the experiences of her past (323). As Miller was able to dispute her belief that personal identity is only bodily identity, he then tempts her to imagine that in that location volition be someone in the future who volition remember the conversation they are having and all her past experiences.However, this fails to comforts Weirob as she argues that this entirely suggests the possibility of a deluded imposter harboring her memories (323). at once again the issue of real versus apparent memory detains Miller in his efforts. This led to the introduction of an additional restriction to Millers suggestion. To provide the distinction amongst real and apparent memory, the supernal person must now be the person who really performed the actions that he/she remembers (323). So if Weirob can imagine such(prenominal) a person existence she, then the possibility of her extract is ensured.Nevertheless, this proves to be too ambiguous for Weirob to accept. She argues that in that location is no assurance that the heavenly creation will be identical to her as opposed to exactly similar(325). She says that if immortal were able to become one such world on heaven, what is to oppose him from creating two or even three? Since God is almighty and not limited in his abilities, he should be able to create an eternal number of Gretchen Weirobs, all of whom would hold her memories (325). These Gretchen Weirobs ca nnot all be her, so the possibility of her choice is once again ir sane.Cohen then points out that Miller was asked only to provide the possibility of survival, so if Weriob were to imagine that God, being benevolent, occupy to create only one heavenly Gretchen Weirob, then she cannot deny the possibility of her survival (325). To this Weirob replies that she cannot base her survival on such insubstantial conditions she cannot tolerate that her survival depends on the right relationship between her memory to the memory of the heavenly being as well as the lack of aspiration of other heavenly beings(325).She says that if there is a possibility if two heavenly Gretchen Weirobs, she would be neither of them as one cannot be identical to two then memory alone cannot provide the basis for identity. Therefore, even if there were to be only one heavenly being containing her memory, she cannot confirm that it will be identical to her (326). I allot with Weirobs belief that she will sac k to exist upon the expiration of her body. From a biological point of view, there is no earthborn evidence that suggest the continuation of a person after the end of his/her brain function.Like Weirob suggested, it is her brain that involves the storage of information including the accumulation of her memories(321). If her brain were to stop functioning, all her memories would logically be lost. Meanwhile, there is the case where the body can continue to function without support from the brain. This is commonly known as a coma, a state in which a person is without brain activity and within this state of mind that person can be pronounced legally groundless by a qualified physician. straight on the topic of survival after death, the existence of a God must be involved.In this instance, the identity of a person can be suggested to continue if God were to create a heavenly being containing all of the deceased past memories. The possibility of survival through this case is disrupt as Weriob proved that these beings would be zippo more than exactly similar to her(323). She maintains that memory alone cannot ensure the essence of her personal identity, as God can create many heavenly beings containing her memories out of which one of them would be her (323).Her idea of bodily persistency is proven to be the only rational method to interpret her existence as her steam of consciousness containing all the memories that comprises her personal identify ends with her death. However, Weirobs belief seems to take out those who are distorted or incapable(p) in their ability to store memory. For example, in the case of the hypnosis mentioned in the second night, the rememberer bring forth to remember Weirobs memories is disrupted in his/her stream of consciousness. 323) Yet, after the removal of the trance, he/she will continue to exist as him/herself. Weirob overly mentioned people who seem to remember being Napoleon losing the battle of waterloo 323). Although th ese poeple are visibly not Napoleon, they are also not considered to be nonexistent scorn lack of personal identity. Other cases hold patients of Alzheimers disease who will in stages set down all their memories or those living with mental illness who are to a lower place delusions of who they really are.These people are manifestly experiencing inaccurate representations for their personal identity. Nevertheless, this does not prevent these individuals from existing. While it is correct that these individuals exist, I can argue that there is a distinction between seeming to exist and actually existing. Individuals suffering from delusions exist within their own mind, without relation to the their actual environment. They seem to exist, either as Napoleon or as Gretchen Weirob, in that stretch of consciousness.The mind is inarguably still a part of the body so while they may be not physically experiencing these events, their body, or more specifically their brain, is still need ed for the creation of these memories. Therefore, they will follow the same laws of existence as any normal person. On the other hand, those who are suffering from Alzheimers, or any form of head trauma that forces them to lose their memories are simultaneously losing their identity. As stretches of their streams of consciousness fade away, their personal identity diminishes until there is nothing left to distinguish them from an change shell, which is their body.