A critical review to Bernard Williams in 'The Self and the Future'

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Research Paper (undergraduate) from the year 2017 in the subject Philosophy - Miscellaneous, grade: 4.00, Indiana University (College of Arts and Sciences - Philosophy Department), course: PHIL-P300 Philosophical Writing Methods, language: English, abstract: In his essay "The Self and the Future," Bernard Williams conveys two formulations of a thought experiment designed both to clarify the issue of personal identity over time while also revealing the keen methodological limitations of philosophical thought experiments in objectively overriding our intuitions. In this paper, the author seeks to analyze Williams' conclusions of both experiments and determine that one formulation suffers from weaknesses in its semantic and structure that make it indefensible relative to the other more tenable interpretation. Furthermore the author concludes that while the comparison of the two thought experiments in Williams' paper leads to much needed skepticism on the role of thought experiments, that the second formulation Williams' proposes is nonetheless reveals a sound possible basis for personal identity over time.

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