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identity

John Locke (1632—1704) philosopher

René Descartes (1596—1650) French philosopher, mathematician

David Hume (1711—1776) philosopher and historian

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personal identity


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See also identity.

1. (identity) A phenomenological sense of oneself as a separate individual being with a distinctive personality and a ‘true self’ persisting over time; a self image.

2. (philosophy) The problem of whether ‘the same person’ can exist over time.

3. The social particulars of an identifiable individual.

Subjects: Philosophy

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Reference entries
personal identity
in The Oxford Companion to the Mind (2) Length: 1867 words
personal identity
in The Continuum Encyclopedia of British Philosophy Length: 3702 words
personal identity
in The Oxford Companion to Philosophy (2) Length: 710 words
personal identity
in The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (2 rev) Length: 420 words

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