1. Philosophy of Mind: Theories of self / personal identity: REVISION Body & Soul - what makes you you?

2. Dualism v Monism Dualists: Plato, Descartes. Monists: Hume, Dawkins. Monists: may be materialists (such as Dawkins, who reduce the mind by explaining it physically) or idealists (who reduce physical matter by explaining it mentally)

3. What is the self? Plato: an eternal soul, which is from the true world (‘the world of forms’). Descartes: a separate thing called a ‘mind’ which interacts with the body. Hume: nothing but a bundle of perceptions. Dawkins: an illusion created by the brain. Locke: continued consciousness. Aristotle: the organisation of rational thought and irrational desires.

4. Plato Claimed that the physical world was mere appearance and the true world is a world of ideas or ‘forms’. So your body is not the real you.

5. Descartes Said all perceptions can be doubted - even that your body exists. (think Matrix / deceptive demon) The self was the most certain thing - a clear and distinct idea. “I think therefore I am” “I am a thinking thing” Believed the mind and body interact in the pineal gland!

6. Hume There is no evidence that there is any kind of mental ‘substance’. All we are aware of is a series of perceptions that seem to bundle together but we cannot perceive a ‘self’

7. Dawkins Evolution created complex brains which give the illusion of some kind of self No evidence of any kind of soul We are biological machines

8. Locke Prince and cobbler example - shows your body is not what makes you you. What matters is continued consciousness. Memories are crucial to the idea of a continuing self.

9. Aristotle Thought the word ‘soul’ did not refer to a thing Soul included desires as well as thoughts ‘Essence’ = the thing that distinguishes you from other kinds of things Humans generally have an essence (being rational beings) But we also have an irrational part that we share with animals.