The Human Animal

Most philosophers writing about personal identity in recent years claim that what it takes for humans to persist through time is a matter of psychology. This work argues that such approaches face daunting problems, and defends in their place a radically non-psychological account of personal identity. It defines human beings as biological organisms and claims that no psychological relation is either sufficient or necessary for an organism to persist. The author rejects several famous thought-experiments dealing with personal identity. He argues that one could survive the destruction of all of one's psychological contents and capabilities as long as the human organism remains alive - as long as its vital functions, such as breathing, circulation and metabolism, continue.