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This paper examines the problem of personal identity. It questions how certain one can be about their own identity and whether their self-image matches how they truly feel or act. It discusses how violence in someone seen as good can call identity into question. It also explores how alcohol can change someone's behavior and make their identity seem ambiguous. The paper argues that philosopher Sam Woolfe asserts people construct an illusory self through their internal narrative. He uses an image of overlapping circles to demonstrate how illusions of identity can form similar to the illusion of a triangle in the image. The paper concludes that personal identity poses many questions that lead to further questions, typical of philosophical problems.

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35 views5 pages

Final Paper

This paper examines the problem of personal identity. It questions how certain one can be about their own identity and whether their self-image matches how they truly feel or act. It discusses how violence in someone seen as good can call identity into question. It also explores how alcohol can change someone's behavior and make their identity seem ambiguous. The paper argues that philosopher Sam Woolfe asserts people construct an illusory self through their internal narrative. He uses an image of overlapping circles to demonstrate how illusions of identity can form similar to the illusion of a triangle in the image. The paper concludes that personal identity poses many questions that lead to further questions, typical of philosophical problems.

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© © All Rights Reserved
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Pedro Gutierrez

7/31/2015
Philosophy 1000
Instructor: Jeffery
Final Paper
Personal Identity Problem
What are you at this very moment? And are you certain that that is who you are? You have
just described your identity, or if you did not answer maybe you are wondering who you are.
This is a problem all of us human beings are trying to prove to ourselves that this is who I am,
my identity. Some think they got it and others wonder who they would like to be.
The problem is if we are this person we say we are, how can you be certain. You can have an
image of who you are, but can you feel the feelings of that image. The feeling is important,
because one day in your personal identity you feel great. Whatever feedback you get for feeling
great is what you describe yourself to be. What if this feeling was anger, you also get feedback
but it is not who you want your identity to be an angry person.
Another topic is how it is possible to have an image in the future, when we are not for sure
that the future is coming. When we think of who we are, that image is just inside our head, and
not present at the moment. This very moment you think you are someone as you read, and I too
think I am someone as I write.
Violence is a big issue in personal identity, because it gets people in the law field wondering
why an act of violence took place from a character who is described by many and viewed by
many as a good civilian. How is it that the urge to be a violent person came to be part of his life.
This is why personal identity is an issue.
Another way to see different types of identity is, when a friend or family member is under the
influence of alcohol. How is it that my friend who listens when people talk to him and talks to
people, all of a sudden doesnt care to listen or talks every single second when he is under the
influence of alcohol. Who is this friend of mine I wonder?

This leads to such issues like when somebody blacks out and commits a crime. When he/she
forgot to take their medicine and a crime fallows because he/she forgot to take their medicine.
What would be their sentencing, would one face many years for being mentally crazy or would
they just go to a mental institution?
This idea of what or who we are is what many think of as a problem. It is a problem that if
solved, we can be able to get information from our thoughts on how we became this character in
life. This type of solving would be perfect to stop violence from happening.
These problems and many more is what arise from personal identity. A good way to get at
with this problem of identity is what Philosopher Sam Woolfe, writes about the self, in his article
on Philosophy Now, titled The Illusion of The Self. He writes how we create illusions of who we
are, because of how our narrative voice inside us creates a story with a beginning, middle and
end. This is what he describes as an illusion that creates self. This illusion of self is what makes
answers or questions to say to other people. Because you think you are this person, you should
answer that way or ask that question.
Sam Woolfe backs this up with an image in his article. This image contains three circles with
a slice, one is set up on the top with the slice facing down the other two on the bottom with the
slice facing inside. In the middle is what looks to be a cup used in the Vatican, when serving the
Eucharist. This cup has a triangle facing down, but this triangle is sliced on the half on the lines
of the triangle. The way this image is set up, is where the illusion of a triangle appears. This is

how we are creating illusions in our everyday life.

This problem of personal identity has no real solution after philosophers have found many
ways on how to contradict personal identity. After one philosopher feels he has an answer to this,
it just leads to more questions. Questions which then leads to more. Making this issue of personal
identity having many questions asked after one answers one. Just like all philosophy problems
we learned in class, all leading to more questions.

Works Cited
Philosophy 1000 class. Personal Identity. Philosophy 1000. Salt Lake Community College,
Taylorsville. 26 June 2015. Personal Identity Lecture.
Woolfe Sam. The Illusion of the Self. Philosophy Now. Issue 97. 2013. Web. 31 July 2015.
Image from: Woolfe Sam. The Illusion of the Self. Philosophy Now. Issue 97. 2013. Web.
31 July 2015.

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