Arguments, identity and personhood
| English | 中文 | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| premise/ˈpremɪs/ | 前提 | qián tí |
| validity/væˈlɪdɪti/ | 有效性 | yǒu xiào xìng |
A decision you can investigate
- If someone's memories change, are they still the same person?
- The answer depends on what criterion of identity the argument uses.
Build the explanation
- An argument supports a conclusion through premises. Validity 有效性 asks whether the conclusion follows if the premises are true; soundness also requires true premises.
- Personal identity can be examined through bodily, psychological and relational criteria.
Match the terms to their precise meanings.
Use these definitions in the particular context of Arguments, identity and personhood.
Work through the evidence
- All people with unchanged memories are the same person; this person has changed memories; therefore this is a different person does not follow.
- The premises do not say unchanged memory is necessary; losing a sufficient condition does not prove loss of identity.
What is wrong with the classroom argument?
All people with unchanged memories are the same person; this person has changed memories; therefore this is a different person does not follow. The premises do not say unchanged memory is necessary; losing a sufficient condition does not prove loss of identity.
Test the limits
- Do not substitute personal opinion for an argument.
- A counterexample should challenge a premise 前提 or inference precisely, not merely express disagreement.
Which caution belongs to this particular task?
Do not substitute personal opinion for an argument. A counterexample should challenge a premise or inference precisely, not merely express disagreement.
The explanation in this lesson makes a conditional claim; relevant context and evidence still matter.
A counterexample should challenge a premise or inference precisely, not merely express disagreement.
Apply and explain your answer
- What is wrong with the classroom argument?
- It treats a stated sufficient condition as if it were necessary.
Choose the two statements supported by this lesson.
The concept and worked evidence support these claims; the stated limits rule out the universal shortcut.
Use the terms precisely
- premise: A statement offered as support for a conclusion.
- validity: A property of an argument whose conclusion follows from its premises.
All people with unchanged memories are the same person; this person has changed memories; therefore this is a different person does not follow. The premises do not say unchanged memory is necessary; losing a sufficient condition does not prove loss of identity.
Do not substitute personal opinion for an argument. A counterexample should challenge a premise or inference precisely, not merely express disagreement.
An argument supports a conclusion through premises. Validity asks whether the conclusion follows if the premises are true; soundness also requires true premises.