Derek Parfit

Abstract

Derek Parfit’s work challenges traditional notions of personal identity and their implications for morality. He argues that personal identity may not be determinate, as traditional criteria based on physical and psychological continuity can be undermined by hypothetical scenarios like fission. This lack of determinacy in personal identity leads Parfit to claim that what matters is not identity itself, but the degree of psychological connectedness and continuity. This view has significant implications for morality, weakening the principle of self-interest and suggesting that we should be more concerned with the well-being of others, especially those with whom we share a high degree of psychological connectedness. Parfit’s work has been influential in contemporary philosophy, prompting ongoing debates about the nature of the self, the role of personal identity in moral reasoning, and the implications of consequentialism for our ethical obligations to future generations. – AI-generated abstract.