1 upvotes, 5 direct replies (showing 5)
View submission: /r/philosophy Open Discussion Thread | January 27, 2020
I'm starting a research project for university, and my thrust is that the Self (a person that persists through time) is an illusion—in reality identity is just a more or less arbitrary construct of pattern recognition coupled to consciousness. I have my bases covered for sources in the east, but I'm not sure who in the western tradition proposes or touches on this subject (other than a ship of Theseus/Heap argument). I'm looking for input on who was really concerned with this ontological problem and what works I should look to as sources.
Comment by Annathematic at 01/02/2020 at 15:59 UTC
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It is an emergent phenomenon.
Peter Corning,
“The common characteristics are: (1) radical novelty (features not previously observed in systems); (2) coherence or correlation (meaning integrated wholes that maintain themselves over some period of time); (3) A global or macro "level" (i.e. there is some property of "wholeness"); (4) it is the product of a dynamical process (it evolves); and (5) it is "ostensive" (it can be perceived).”
What I think is lacking is the consideration for more than the relationship determining the results. The idea that if the forces are co-operant or contrary determines the outcome positively or negatively seems naive. The truth of emergence is that there is a chirality to the event that is indeterminable because the resultant is ongoing. If we reversed the effects of an emergent event, there is no way to know what events are commensurate. The ability to do so negates the idea of it being emergent. We may be able to determine the components, but we can not recreate the conditions perfectly.
Comment by WelkinShaman at 01/02/2020 at 09:15 UTC
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One contemporary philosopher who espouses a "no self" view is Thomas Metzinger.
Comment by [deleted] at 31/01/2020 at 20:56 UTC
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Alan Watts will give you the best intuitions regarding this
Comment by hackinthebochs at 31/01/2020 at 03:09 UTC
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pattern recognition coupled to consciousness.
But why discount this as being illusory rather than a substantiation of the self? If that pattern persists over time and is the basis of the perception of the self as a persisting identity, why not take that as its reality? I'm thinking of something like Dennett's real patterns. You should be sure to address this sort of argument in your paper.
Comment by Geoffistopholes at 30/01/2020 at 21:26 UTC
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You can begin with Hume. Schopenhauer is good too. Spinoza also may help you out. These are all older, but since you are using eastern sources, these would fit in well.