Personal Identities

An identity is the set of characteristics that makes someone recognized or known. Personal identity cannot be limited by the internal virtues one possesses. Internal virtues are a set of qualities that guide one towards proper or “right” actions. Performing proper actions are not what make you who you are. An action can appear to be virtuous and unselfish and in all actuality the true intent behind it is unknowable. Internal virtues are immeasurable from external perceptions. Because no one can ever know another’s true intentions, it is impossible to define another’s personal identity viz. their internal virtues. Therefore, internal virtues, proper or otherwise, are irrelevant in regards to personal identity. Because it is impossible to relate external and internal identities, personal identity is either solely internal or solely external. John Locke argues that “The eye, whilst it makes us see and perceive all other things, takes no notice of itself.” This statement can be said about more then understanding. One cannot perceive their own self, but requires others to project a personal identity upon them. Because identity is what makes a person recognized, identities are either internally or externally based, and no one can be recognized by their internal virtues, it is necessary to concede that identity is based on how a set of external traits are perceived by others.

Because humans are social in nature it is important to keep the views of others in any thesis involving personal identity. Personal identity is not based on how a body sees itself but on how other people see it; Personal identity is not the identity itself but how an identity relates to the outside world. For example. Ricky is a bartender, a patron of the bar will know Ricky to be only a bartender. But Ricky is also a father, and his children see him as not only a father but also a protector, a savior, a hero. Both instances come together to form Ricky’s identity. In short his identity is exclusive to his being. So, a personal identity is a compilation of everyone’s views on a single subject. In this case Ricky is seen in two different settings by two different groups of people, using the two cases, Ricky’s personal identity is a bartender who also happens to be a father, a protector, a savior and a hero. Every person is surrounded by their own unique set of “judges”. Judges, in this case, are those who attach attributes to the identity’s meaning in their (the judges) life. No two people will ever be viewed the same by everyone, and therefore everyone has a unique identity. Just like a person’s behaviour changes as they grow older, so does the perception of them. In this case the subject of judgment, or the “identity”, is still what is being judged; the identity can never escape the judgment of others and therefore it will always maintain its identity.

It is impossible to understand a person’s identity without incorporating every possible perspective on the subject. A person can be judged by thousands of people in a lifetime and be truly unknown by the majority of them. But once a person grows and changes, the judgment on their previous self also grows. Ricky sees a homeless man on the street, recognizes and judges him, four years later the homeless man is now a billionaire. Ricky sees him again; he is no longer identified as the homeless man, but as the homeless man turned billionaire. The man is still recognized as being that homeless man, only now he is developed into a homeless man turned wealthy. There will always be a person to judge. Therefore every action and development, unless kept internally unexpressed, will be incorporated into a person’s identity. In order to better understand and improve an identity, the identity is required to use a mirror or reflection of ones self. This can be done by forming close relationships with loved ones and using their advice and judgments to develop and better oneself. This expression of what personal identity is, is based on the importance of society in everyone’s life. The judgment of others is what makes a person behave the way they are. If someone lived in seclusion away from all other people, they would not behave the same way they would if they were with their families and loved ones, because they would be unable to better themselves.

Although, there are many potential criticisms of my view on personal identity, I feel the most difficult one to combat would come from Sam Miller. As a chaplain, Sam Miller is a very religious man; he believes that the spirit exceeds the body. The body is only a vessel for which the spirit dwells. Holding this belief will give way to the argument that personal identity is something that develops within the spirit, and that once a person is passed on their spirit can no longer be judged by others. To respond to this argument one must hold true that in order for a person’s spirit to develop past death, there must be a God, heaven or greater spirit to accept this spirit. Here in lies the fault of this argument, if there is a greater spirit in which to accept the decease’s spirit this spirit is the ultimate judge of ones personal identity. Because God is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent, he is able to form the perfect personal identity, for every person.

The Perception of others it what defines personal identity; how a person is viewed by his or her colleges, peers and fellow humans is what makes a person unique. Humans are social beings and require other beings in order to define their own. Personal identity exceeds the limits of the external physical body. It is impossible to incorporate a person’s ability to make personal relationships based off of only physical interaction. That being said a person’s mind or emotions are impossible to trust from an external perspective. A being is also impeded in the sense of being unable to properly view oneself. The only acceptable explanation is that external perspectives are the only way to no ones personal identity. Because everyone has a different view or perspective on a single identity, it is a compilation of many views that make up a person identity.

Bibliography

Locke, John. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Raleigh, N.C. Alex Catalogue.