Philosophy discussion posts
Please answer question 1 in at least 5 sentences and and then respond to the two response questions in at least 5 sentences as well. You can just include the answers in the final document. These are just short response answers and don’t have to be written in apa or mla format. Feel free to use google to look up the reading on Perry’s ” A Dialogue concerning Personal Identity and Immortality” .
1. Answer some of the following questions about Perry’s “A Dialogue Concerning Personal Identity and Immortality” in at least 5 sentences. What observations or questions do you have about the reading? What do you think about the various theories: soul, psychology, and body? Which theory do you favor and why? What sorts of scenarios do you think we can survive (fetus, amnesia, transplant, teletransportation, others) and why? Do you agree that each theory has a way to account for life after death? If not, why? Be sure to ground your answers in the reading.
Response #1 The reading of Perry’s “A Dialogue Concerning Personal Identity and Immorality” was very intriguing and made me think a lot in concerns with my beliefs and how the coincided with the other various theories that were brought up. With religion playing a major role in what and how I believe certain things and aspects, my views have opened and made me understand the other views and how they come to form. I think the various theories have their own perks, as to what the focus of the theory and how it can be applied to society. The theory I favor would probably have to be the psychology theory due to the main reasoning being that of our memories and experiences shape and mold us into who we are and what we may become in the future. That these experiences and memories also distinguish who we are, and how we are different from those around us. I don’tthink we can survive teletransportation, as I also believe a sort of the body theory, and as our bodies get destroyed, we are not who we have come to know. On the other hand, our psychology can survive teletransportation and we could also live through that. I do believe that each theory has its own account for life after death, which is unique understanding how each theory takes its hold on such a controversial topic. That although some may believe in life after death, the theories provide possibilities in backing up a possible way in surviving after death.
Response #2 In “A Dialogue Concerning Personal Identity and Immortality” we read about the conversations between two people and their different stances on life after death. This was my favorite reading because I feel we were all Weirob in a way as students taking this class, and Professor Hess explained to us all the different theories, but ultimately we make up our own minds, and decide for ourselves what we think is valid. I found it interesting how Weirob was a philosophy professor and yet did not believe in the slightest possibility of life after death and seemed to not have heard of the multiple theories such as, soul and body. She had some good arguments for Miller’s theories such as the Kleenex argument that if you destroy a box of Kleenex it does not survive or come back. I do not believe in the body theory, but if I had to pick I would say I believe in the soul theory, that states you only survive if your soul survives, i believe in this theory because I think your soul is who you truly are and not your body.
