Personal Identity: Who are you? By: Ronald F. White, PhD.
Philosophers have long debated the question of " personal identity ." Is there one single set of characteristics that comprise your identity? Or is your identity relative to the perceptions of other persons and/or other groups of persons. Was your identity established at birth or has it evolved over time? Is your identity the product of your body (genes) or your mind (ideas)? Is your identity contained in your conscious mind and memory via introspection, or in the minds, consciousness, and memories of other persons? How much control do you have over your identity? Are you the same person you were 10-30 years ago? Obviously, our bodies change over time...at the cellular level, therefore (strictly speaking) our bodies constantly change. Some bodily features are the product of growth: height, weight etc. Others are age-related such as mobility, memory etc. Do you identify yourself based on your job (professor of philosophy) or job status (...