Abstract
In the spirit of the discussion in Daniel Kolak’s I Am You: The Metaphysical Foundation for Global Ethics, I consider the way in which divisions that we usually think of as borders between distinct people occur within a single life. Starting with the dispute between constructionist and non-constructionist views of persons, I argue for a view that places the unity of persons in the dynamic generated by simultaneously taking a constructionist and non-constructionist view of oneself. In order to unify ourselves as agents we need to treat past and future selves as others, but to motivate this endeavor we need to think of ourselves as temporally extended agents, and so identify with past and future selves. Understanding this dynamic illuminates the structure of our agency and the unity of the self.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Ainslie G. (2001). Breakdown of will. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press
Bratman, M. (1999). Planning and temptation. In Faces of intention (pp. 35–57). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Bratman M. (2000). Reflection, planning, and temporally extended agency. Philosophical Review 109(1): 35–61
Elster J. (2000). Ulysses unbound. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press
Korsgaard C. (1989). Personal identity and human agency: A Kantian response to parfit. Philosophy and Public Affairs 18(2): 101–132
Nagel T. (1970). The possibility of altruism. Princeton, Princeton University Press
Nietzsche, F. (1998). On the genealogy of morality (trans: Clark, M. & Swensen, A. J.). Indianapolis: Hackett.
Parfit D. (1984). Reasons and persons. Oxford, Clarendon Press
Sartre J.P. (1992). Being and nothingness (trans: Barnes, H.). New York, Washington Square Press
Wollheim R. (1984). The thread of life. Cambridge, Harvard University Press
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schechtman, M. Diversity in unity: practical unity and personal boundaries. Synthese 162, 405–423 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-007-9247-9
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-007-9247-9